Twelve Days of Christmas Decorating. Three Vintage Placemats

I found these cute retro diy vintage placemats at the thrift store. Somebody took a bunch of their holiday cards and laminated them all together. Since we don't really use placemats here at our home, I had Mike punch holes in them, then I strung them together and hung them on the front door.

Twelve Days of Christmas Decorating! Two Vintage Tree Toppers

I have a few vintage tree toppers and only one Christmas tree! So with the magic of a little bit of scotch tape wrapped around the bottoms of the toppers - they fit perfectly into my candle holders.

Twelve Days of Christmas Decorating! One Vintage Felt Tree Skirt

Easy Revamp
Sometimes I find something at the thrift store that I really don't need -  but absolutely love. I throw it in my cart and then I think think think of how I can re-purpose it to justify the purchase. I found this lovely hand-crafted vintage felt and sequined tree skirt and am using it as a tablecloth decoration as it fits perfectly on the top of our dining room table.

Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Baliday!

About once ever 4-6 weeks three of us gal friends try a new restaurant for breakfast for a recurring event we call "International Breakfast." It all started when my friend Carol wanted me and our friend Ginny to join her at a restaurant that served a traditional Thai breakfast. We had so much fun trying new and different food items that we decided to search out other Los Angeles restaurants that served international cuisine. This past week we headed out to Little India in Artesia to try Northern

Indian food.

Since we had a little xtra time before the kids got out of school - we decided to do a bit of shopping.
You can't help but be dazzled by all the amazing colors and patterns in each of the shops!

The colorfully saturated textiles are just amazing. I loved the idea below where you patchwork together, via staple gun, different Indian Sari fabrics & trims to a doorway (or wall).

In one of the chotchki shops, hanging above the boxes of incense, kohl eyeliner packages and hookas were a bunch of brightly colored tinsel necklaces. I was told these were called phool malas and were necklaces worn at Hindu ceremonies and events. The colors were so vibrant and they were so inexpensive that I couldn't resist buying a few. I was pretty sure they would go great with my other holiday decorations!

When I got home I found the perfect spot for them! I draped them around the mirror in our 

dining room.

Now I might have to hit up Little Toyko and Chinatown to see what else I can use for Christmas!
Merry Christmas and Happy Baliday!

Kitschmas!

No bah humbug at the Tacoma household! We've been drinking hot toddies, hanging Christmas lights, decorating the tree, watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and holiday crafting up a winter storm. Just finished a batch of these fun kitsch holiday wreaths.

I was at the 99 cent store perusing the Christmas aisle and spied these awesome tinsel wreaths.

 When I got home I grabbed by glue gun and my box of retro Christmas decorations and went to town!

Settle in, sip a hot toddy and view more of these colorful kitsch holiday wreaths on my Etsy store:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReVampSarahTacoma

Revamping - China Plates

I love anything patchwork - as long as there is a dominant color theme! For 2 years now I have been collecting vintage china plates from the thrift store to re-purpose them into cake stands / pastry
stands / jewelry display stands. But alas haven't had the time to drill them -  until 2 weeks ago! My dad came out to visit us for an extended visit and he volunteered to drill them all for me! Then my aunt came out to visit and together we matched them up and assembled them.

 To view more / purchase please visit: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ReVampSarahTacoma

Victorian Mad Laboratory

This year I came up with a new Halloween display for our dining room! A few months ago at an estate sale I found the centerpiece to this display - an old expandable pharmacy file and bwahhahhaha the Victorian Mad Laboratory display was born.

Once I had decided on the theme - I hit the 99 cent store and got a few ghouly body parts - a heart, a brain and a bunch of fingers! I also grabbed a few bags of spiders and other creepy crawlies. I was lucky enough to already own the Victorian condiment cruet set on the far left. It is a family heirloom from Mike's side of the family. He had this fashionable great grandmother who lived in Chicago during the Victorian heyday and boy oh boy did she have fabulous taste (we also have her late 1900s tufted chaise lounge and pretty threadbare oriental rug (that I can't bear to part with). I filled the bottles up with salt or water that I tinted with food coloring.

I found vintage pharmacy labels on GraphicsFairy.com and added descriptions to them in Photoshop.

Then I hit the thrift stores for vintage books with gothic designs, worn covers or bindings and potion bottles with stoppers.

I even found an 1899 reproduction of Merck's Manual - a list of pharmaceutical ingredients for physicians.

 Last but not least I found an old mid century beverage server that I thought looked like an old Victorian style Bunsen burner with flask! I filled it with water and green food coloring for that perfect witchy potion color and on Halloween we'll put dry ice in it to spook it up!