When I was a child, my parents purchased an old but formerly grand small hotel in cottage country. After one season in that strange structure with a giant kitchen and tiny winding staircases, creaking floorboards and peeling white paint, my father had that sad hazardous fire trap of a building torn down and worked with an architect to build a modern winterized cottage in it's place.
One thing I remember distinctly from one of the drawing rooms in the place was the two mounted Stag Heads on the wall. They had been there for decades likely, with sad looking glossy glass eyes and majestic raised heads. I am not now nor have ever been a fan of taxidermy. I don't know anyone who actually owns a gun, much less hunts, and I care far more for the ecosystem and all it's creatures to ever dare approve of hunting for sport alone. But there is something very rustic and traditional about having these sorts of items in a cabin or cottage setting.
Our family, though no longer cottagers, still has one of those mounted stags, long ago named 'Charlie". It resides in my sister's family Ski Lodge, with a place of honor. It reminds us to respect the animals, wild and otherwise around us, and makes us aware that the number of those majestic animals is in serious decline.
However you feel on the subject, you cannot deny that sometimes a little reminder of the traditions of the past, the whimsical side of our natural environment is often something we are missing. We mostly live in the city and rarely see wild animals, unless you consider the odd squirrel or chipmunk, even a raccoon raiding your garbage bin 'wild'. Today's strange stuff post takes a fun look at a much more magical 'faux' taxidermy that while strange to some, definitely has it's share of charm. Check out these wonderful offerings and consider if there is a place in your home for a little faux friend on the wall.
One of the most unappreciated and hardest working items in your home is sitting right there under your beverage of choice. Whether it be coffee, tea, cola, water, or some newfangled energy drink, when we go to place it down on our desk or coffee table, we usually plunk it right down on a coaster. If you don't have any, you either have a series of lovely water mark rings all over the furniture, or you have been making do with any book, towel, or piece of mail that might be lying close at hand when you need it.
Since it is Time Travel day here at the Fab, I decided it was time to take a look back at some Coasters from the past. I am not referring to The Coasters by the way, you know, the band that gave us such great hits as "Charlie Brown" and "Yakety Yak" way back in the 1950s. Not one to let the opportunity pass, I will give you a little musical accompaniment to this post. Enjoy looking at these adorable and clearly fabulous vintage coasters, all available on Etsy right now. All the links are listed under the images so you can go check them out and get some great vintage goodness into your humble abode very soon. This is just a small sample of course, there are many other styles and colors listed from a variety of eras in addition to the heaps of new, upcycled, or hand-made coasters listed on Etsy.
Coasters do their job, and that is a wonderful thing, but they can also
be incredibly hip, kitschy, or decorative too. Your mother or
grandmother may have been adamant that you use one on her wooden
furniture, but today's IKEA particle board and laminate home
decor is much more forgiving. So why get yourself coasters, you ask?
Because it's a way of personalizing your space and adding a little extra
touch of wonderful in a very cookie-cutter world. Vintage coasters, in
particular, are really fun to collect, they are made with so many
materials, and they will be a great topic of conversation at your next
house party. Need yet another reason to love vintage coasters? Most of these sets range from $10 - $20 USD per set, a lot less then you would expect for something that is practically one of a kind these days. OK, now I can relax and set my iced glass of Coke Zero down without fear as I "coast" into Friday.
Before I go, I wanted to add my own little Upcycle-It Tip for all you fun kitschy doll-loving one-of-a-kind [OOAK] type folks out there. When I saw that Florence & Ruby Vintage was using small demitasse saucers as coasters (a brilliant idea actually), I took it one step farther and offer up this sweet little twist.
Remember all those awesome Tea Sets we played with as kids? That little set of plates and dishes we would pile Cheerios on to play house with, and then never pretend to wash? If you can find a great set of those little Vintage goodies in your Etsy travels, you may just have found the most ninja-butt-kicking set of OOAK coasters for your funky little crash pad. Remember to check the diameter of the plate in the item description so that you can be sure your favorite cuppa will sit in it nicely. You can get a matching set of plates, or if you really want to shake things up, or give them a stir [your call], mix and match a pile of little tin plates for a OOAK collection of great coasters that will cost you just a few dollars to pull together.
It's Tuesday once again, and today's Itty Bitty lovely thing has been rather easy to pin down. No matter how long or how short your hair is, you can always tuck a little bobby pin in somewhere. Holding back a little strand gone astray, tucked into a sweet chignon, or decorating a braid or pony tail. A little bit retro, a lot a bit cute, these bobby pins are back in style with a tweet, a growl, and a meow. Not just for kids anymore, a sweet little bobby pin is a way you can add a little whimsy to a conservative look. They are little hints at your personality, your sense of fun, and add that little pop of color that will have people around you doing a double take. Wear any of these bobby pins and you will make people smile, I can guarantee it. While you can find these style of hair pins with any number of items decorating them, from bows and roses to jewels and buttons, I decided to present a selection of little beasties today. Have a look, see what catches your eye, and maybe pick-up a very expressive and inexpensive [most range from $5-10 USD/CAD] accessory for yourself or someone you love.
