Vintage in the Kitchen

Working at a cooking retailer, and selling vintage kitchen items on Etsy, I seem to have kitchen wares on the brain at all times (just ask any of my family members!), so I’ve decided to share a bit on the blog. I’m pulling together some kitchen-related gift registry tips for next week, but I don’t want to overlook the specialness of bringing something vintage or antique into the kitchen for a sweet and eclectic look.

Plus, this little project gave me an excuse to get out some of my Etsy shop items and try them out staged together in harmony… To be honest I love the look of all these pieces together!

Vintage in the Kitchen

Vintage lovers, did you know you can create a gift registry on Etsy, in addition to the old standard big-box stores? I highly recommend it–using vintage items is so eco-friendly! What’s the second “R,” after all? Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! While new things are always nice, like a brand new set of pots and pans, for example, you can register for some kitchen standards like a cast-iron dutch oven, which has not changed in design or manufacturing process for decades. Other things are fun, too like kitchen canisters or ice cream dishes.

Vintage in the Kitchen

The thing about iconic brands like Pyrex is that they have been around for ages for a reason–their glass is durable and high-quality! These canisters are up for sale in my Etsy shop but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t covet them for my own kitchen.

Vintage in the Kitchen

Vintage in the Kitchen

Le Creuset cast iron wares, or Pyrex and Corning casserole dishes are all-stars for a reason when it comes to pretty designs and functionality. Getting your paws on one can be as easy as raiding your mother’s kitchen (which is what I did), combing through the shelves at Goodwill, or let someone do the hunting and cleaning for you–grab it on Etsy. Remember that Etsy purchases directly affect someone’s income–a fact I know from experience! I am just a casual seller but when I get a little extra cash from one of my sales it can make my whole week! Some people spend all their time and energy on their shop and in fact make it a full-time job. What a dream! Small-business at its finest.

Vintage in the Kitchen

And just so this post doesn’t totally sound like an advertisement for my shop in particular, here are some amazing Etsy sellers I’ve been stalking for a while:

Object of Beauty – Mid-century/Danish items

Franc & Francis – Global vintage home items

YASTK – Global inspired pillows and textiles

Antique Postcards in the Bathroom

Recently Doug and I were perusing a huge antique mall and spent a little more time than usual in a vendor’s space that had old postcards and photographs from around the world. It was organized really nicely and all 50 states were broken up so we looked at all the Kansas postcards!

For those who attended our wedding, it’s no surprise that we love antique postcards. We had a box of them for people to “write to us” as an alternative to a guestbook.

 

We actually found many postcards from Hutchinson, the town where Doug was born, and even found one from McPherson, where we lived. We nabbed the McPherson one up and Doug picked his favorite Hutchinson locale and I knew exactly what frame they would go in when we got home.

Hutchinson Postcard

McPherson Postcard

We used to take Mosey for long walks in this very park!

The bathroom has proved to be a tricky place to hang art. We have the perfect long and narrow frame for one space (you can see it reflected in the mirror below) but there was an awkward place above the hand towels (look in the reflection in the medicine cabinet–below, right). Psst… These photos were lazily plucked from my Home Tour. ;) 

Bathroom Peek

Note: The bathroom area is tiny and full of mirrors–not so easy to shoot! 

Anyway, I reused a very cheap $5 frame I picked up at Wal-Mart years ago. It already came with a mat in it–so this little project was seriously a no-brainer. The small size of the frame looks ok since the towel bar is weirdly high. All in all, it makes me smile to see these reminders of where we’ve been!

Postcards in frame

Postcards in frame

Have you done any inexpensive and sentimental updates lately?

Take a Tour: Mariposa Ice Cream

Today’s Take a Tour is short and sweet (how punny).

When I lived in the Normal Heights neighborhood of San Diego, this ice cream shop was easily walkable from my apartment. It’s a refreshing reprieve from other generic chain ice cream places or ultra-modern looking frozen yogurt places. Full of personality, it’s clear that the people who run it love a few things: Their ice cream, their community, The Beatles, and the San Diego Chargers. I mean, check out the walls.

To be honest, as a design junkie sometimes it feels good to spend time in a place that just feels home-y and hasn’t been remodeled to keep up with the latest trend in interior design. Somehow, it’s so genuine. This is one of those places. (Of course, there are other places where I look around and wonder if the owner put any thought at all into the decor!! That thought didn’t cross my mind here at Mariposa though).

Mariposa

The ice cream is made on site using an old fashioned family recipe… and tastes amazing!

Oh, and they have a signed and framed tabloid page that has a photo of Kristen Bell eating here–She and I both have a very discerning palate, I guess.

Mariposa

I tried the Mexican chocolate, and may never try another flavor ever as long as I can get neverending scoops of this amazingness. If you’ve ever tried the hot chocolate drink Abuelita, it’s like that, in ice cream form. Doug got peanut butter fudge which was also creamy and good.

The nice thing about a rich creamy ice cream cone is that I feel satisfied with just the one scoop. Any more and I might overdo it! These two cones ran us 5.50 total. Can’t beat that price for an afternoon outing.

Mariposa

3450 Adams Ave
San Diego, CA 92116

Check out some of my other tours by clicking here