Tomorrow I will be selling vintage at this wonderful show with two of my vintage selling gal pals. If you live in the area, come check us out! Our booth will be the first one inside the door to the right. Please say hi if you do stop by!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Giveaway Winner
The winner of the bullet earrings is Billi! Please contact me at livinvintage (@) hotmail dot com to receive your earrings. Thank you to all the entered!
Monday, March 25, 2013
Last Chance
Just a reminder that the giveaway for the bullet earrings closes in two days on the 27th and my shop sale ends in three days on the 28th. Get your entries and shopping in before it's too late!
Also, here is the photo I used to make my sale flyer, since some of you showed some interest in it. I just found it on a google search.
Monday, March 18, 2013
Something for the Ladies
Have you had your eye on something at the Livin' Vintage Shop? Well, you're in luck! I'm having a little sale during part of March Madness, so you ladies can shop while your better half is watching the game.
Visit Livin' Vintage Shop on etsy between 3/19 at 12 a.m. and 3/28 11 p.m. to find all items discounted!
Happy shopping!
Friday, March 15, 2013
Giveaway with Sarah's Jewelry Designs
There's nothing I love more than finding a creative way to repurpose something that is no longer usable or is undesirable. Lately, I have seen a ton of bullet jewelry pop up and think it is a fun way to repurpose used bullets. Sarah's Jewelry Designs on etsy has some of the nicest bullet jewelry out there and is hand crafted with quality and care.
Sarah makes each piece and offers many different styles. Rings, earrings, necklaces, and bracelets are adorned with Swarovski crystals, giving off a brilliant sparkle. I really adore the above bracelet!
Sarah recently sent me some of her fabulous jewelry and sent along something for you guys too! Want a chance to win these cute peridot green bullet earrings -- right in time for spring?
Here's how to enter:
-Visit Sarah's Jewelry Designs on etsy and comment on this post with your favorite item
-Like Sarah's Jewelry Designs on Facebook and leave a separate comment here
-Like Livin' Vintage on facebook and leave a separate comment here
-Tweet, reblog, post on facebook, or share through any other social media and leave a link and comment here
Up to five entries will be counted.
Giveaway closes March 27th at 11:00 pm EST. Winner will be announced March 29th. Good luck!
*All photos link back to etsy*
*Sarah's Jewelry Designs is a sponsor of Livin' Vintage and all items were provided for giveaway complements of SJD*
Monday, February 25, 2013
OxiClean or BIZ? Is there really a difference?: A Guide to Stain Removers Part 1
Ever since I have been doing my own laundry, I have wondered what -- if any -- the difference was between many of the stain removers on the market. I had always used Oxiclean to soak my linens and cotton dresses until a few years ago I read Alligators, Old Mink, and New Money by Allison and Melissa Houtte, vintage clothing store owners in Brooklyn. In the book, they have a section of some of the tricks of the trade and one of them was about cleaning vintage garments. The Houtte sisters' stain remover of choice was BIZ. They claimed it was gentle yet powerful, so I bought a box and never looked back. That is until a few weeks ago, when I was discussing cleaning methods with a friend who was going to soak a rayon dress. That got me to thinking: Is there a difference between Oxi Clean and BIZ?
I found these napkins at the thrift store and thought they would be the perfect samples to test out the differences between the two cleaners. In all the following photos, the napkin on the left is the one soaked in OxiClean and the one on the right was soaked in BIZ.
While the napkins were soaking, I did a little research on the differences between the two and apparently they are completely different in regards to how they remove the stains.
OxiClean
OxiClean is an oxygen based cleaner, which reacts and activates when it comes in contact with the stain. This reaction actually alters the color of the stain chemically at the molecular level.
How it works: the oxygen breaks away from the H0 (hydrogen peroxide) to clean the stain. This reaction lasts as long as the cloth is damp and submerged in the solution. Works best on colored satins and odors.
BIZ
BIZ is an enzyme cleaner, which breaks down protein, starches, and oils until the stain is gone. This type of reaction breaks down or "digests" the stains until the stain molecules are gone.
How it works: the enzymes need moisture and "food" (i.e. the stain) in order to break down the molecules. This reaction lasts as long as there is "food" and as long as the cloth stays wet. Works best on organic stains and odors.
For my experiment, I followed the directions on the box to a T, using the amount of water to cleaner ratio that was recommend. I soaked them for the same amount of time and during the soaking process I discovered something really interesting. The OxiClean water never really got brown or showed any signs of release of the dirt that was in the napkin. This makes sense because of the way OxiClean works. In fact, the water continued to lighten during the soak -- with some initial sings of the dirt at the beginning and that quickly disappeared the longer the item soaked. The napkin also got almost completely lighter upon contact with the water. The BIZ, on the other hand, showed major signs of the dirt in the napkin: the water got brown quickly and after a while I changed it out. And, it did take a little longer for the napkin to lighten. This also makes sense after I learned how the BIZ works.
The Results
While both cleaners worked to remove the stains, I feel one worked better: BIZ. In the photo above you can see how the napkin cleaned with the BIZ came out a brighter white than the napkin soaked in OxiClean, which came out with a slight yellow tint to it. Although it's very slight, you can definitely tell that one is more yellow than the other. I feel like the way each of these cleaners work is the major reason for the difference in the results. To be honest, I don't really like that OxiClean alters the color of the item, especially with my vintage pieces where I want to be as gentle as possible.
I think I will continue to soak with BIZ. It might take a little more effort (with the changing of the water and a longer soaking time to allow the enzymes to completely "eat" all the "food") but I think the way it removes the stains is a much better method for cleaning my vintage pieces.
I have a few other this or that stain removers planned, so stay tuned! ;)
Monday, February 11, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
What's New Wednesday
Welcome to a new feature here on the blog: What's New Wednesdays. Every other Wednesday the blog will feature some of my new shop listings, any specials or sales that are going on, and just some general shop updates. As always, blog readers receive 10% anything in my store with the code: READER13
Here's what's new this week:
Monday, January 7, 2013
Red Heart Boutique Rigoletto Sequins
Thanks to those of you who replied to my last post on the MCM furniture!
One of my goals for 2013 is to get back into crafting and complete a few projects before the year is over. When I was at Joann's to pick up some supplies to get started, I came across this yarn: Red Heart's Boutique Rigoletto Sequins in Tangerine. It came with the pattern to make the above scarf and it probably took me all of 20-30 minutes to make.
It was a bit tricky to figure out at first, since this yarn is already knit and you are kind of pick up stitches and you only have 2 stitches on your needles. After I watched the you tube video, all my confusion was cleared up and before I knew it, I was done.
I think easing into the crafting goal was the best way for me to get the ball rolling.
Oh, and do you like my new dress form? I drove to Columbus, OH to get it and did some thrifting on my way there. Check out my finds later in the week.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
MCM Furniture Identification
Hi Friends! Happy New Year!
I begin 2013 with a call for help on identifying some MCM furniture a friend of mine just acquired for a design job. We know that the couch and chair have been reupholstered, since the previous owner did this for a living and many of the pieces in the house were redone.
We suspect that the couch is by Adrian Pearsell, but have no label and we weren't able to locate this exact couch with three (middle leg) legs in a catalog to confirm our suspicions.
We are pretty sure that the couch and chair are not by the same maker and were probably married with the reupholstering. So, does anyone have any information on either of these pieces? Does anyone know the maker? Any help would awesome! Thanks!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)