Home Tour: Valparaiso, Indiana

Janis is one of the coolest, most creative girls I know. This mother of two, wife and marathon runner is also a dedicated craft whiz. You can find some of her terrific ideas on the blog that she hosts with her friend Kristy.

I fell in love with her house the first time I stepped foot into it. Built in 1912, it is filled with vintage finds, handmade craft projects and original artwork.

Janis kindly allowed me to take pictures and ask her a few questions, which you can find after the photos.

        

 The girls' downstairs playroom.

 Chalkboard painted wall in the front hallway.

 1920's chandelier in Anni's room.

 Anni's room

 Anni's original artwork in her room.

 Upstairs bath

 Upstairs bath

 Rosie's bedroom

 Artwork in Rosie's room.

 A tent in the dining room? Yes, please!

 Table decals by Luvloo Designs. 

 Front sunroom

1. What is your favorite room in your house?
                    My favorite room is [my daughter] Anni's room because when I first walked through the house it seemed like everything I would have wanted in a room as a little girl. The window overlooked a two hundred year old elm tree in our backyard and it was small and quaint and had nooks and crannies.


2. Where do you find your design inspiration?
                    From anything and everything. Music, colors outside, Anni's paintings, The Art Institute of Chicago and design blogs like 'Oh Happy Day .'


3. Do you have a favorite place to shop?
                    My favorite place to shop is Etsy. I like finding original designers like 'Muck Duck' and 'Collective Revolution.' Some of the most creative people I know are the ones who take risks, put their hands in rusty junk and think outside of the box.


4. Where did you find the amazing chandeliers in the girls' rooms?
                    I got the chandeliers from Ebay. Anni's is French from the 1920's and Rosie's is mid-century. Totally Eames looking. Funky and fun like Bud (Janis' nickname for Rosie).


Thanks so much, Janis! Be sure to check out Janis' blog, Loosygoosey.wordpress.com. 

Latest Find: Hermés Ties

One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to seek out local vintage and thrift stores. You never know what you will find, and it feels like a mini treasure hunt to me.

On our recent trip to Savannah, I scored three vintage Hermés ties for $2.00 a piece! Nate wore one to work yesterday and looked smashing!

Etsy Find: For Such A Time Designs

As the daughter of an avid antique hunter and collector, I grew up surrounded by other people's things. I remember going to estate sales and thrift stores as a child, and running my fingers over the lace fabric of a gown, wondering who had worn it. Did they have it on when they had their first kiss, or when they had their heart broken for the first time? I loved imagining up stories for the former owners. I was also drawn to the old serving dishes and tarnished silver, wondering how many Thanksgiving meals they had been used for.

It is for this reason that I love Aly Nickerson's repurposed flatware. She peruses flea markets and sales and finds gorgeous old forks, spoons, knives and the like, then hand-stamps them. Her designs run the gamut from whimsical ("Make A Wish") to funny ("Coffee Is My Drug") to sweet ("You Are Loved").

She also does custom projects, so I am thinking of ordering a flatware set for Maddux with his initials. 

So sweet and simple.

Shrimpton Couture

1950's Jaques Fath

Oh. My. Goodness. If you are a fan of vintage clothing (and you should be!), check out shrimptoncouture.com. Here you will find gorgeous, museum quality pieces ranging from the late 1800's all the the way to the 1990's.

I've fallen in love with several of the dresses already and loved just browsing through the pages. Check it out if you have a spare hour!

The Perfect White Lace Dress

Found. And sadly, already sold. The hunt continues.

Etsy Find: Allen Company Inc.

This Etsy site sells a lovely array of vintage dresses, shoes, blouses and bags. I'm in love with the white 1950's dress. Wouldn't this be fun to wear to an outdoors Spring party?

No, She Doesn't Still Have This Dress

I called my mother up the other day to ask her if this dress was still in my grandmother's possession, and was pretty disappointed when I was told that she had given it away a long time ago. This small let-down made me pause and think about the items in my closet that I would love to pass down to my future daughter or granddaughter. 

Here is my humble yet hopefully ever-growing list:

1. My grandmother's mink wrap and stole

2. my Lela Rose custom wedding dress

3. Yoana Baraschi jeweled mini dress that I wore walking across the Brooklyn Bridge with my soon-to-be husband

4. Vintage black leather motorcycle jacket

5. My crochet Cynthia Steffe dress (amazing, vintage inspired!)

6. A pearl necklace that my grandfather brought back from the South Pacific during WWII

Oh, and by the way....wasn't my mom the cutest little baby?!