Treasure Chest Etsy Store

The Treasure Chest Etsy Store is no longer on hiatus and we are filling our shelves with pretty things. Take a look!
________________________________
Antique Petit Trianon Collection of 3 of Books. 

These 3 books are works of art in their own right. The colors and graphics are beautiful. Part of the Petit Trianon Series published in 1901-1902. They all show wear from age but are still intact for reading. Each book measures 6.5" X 4" Etsy Link

Etsy

________________________________

Set of Six Vintage Enesco Japan Hand Painted Shabby Cabbage Rose/Floral Nut Dishes

Here is a sweet set of 6 Vintage Enesco Nut Bowls. Hand painted with shabby cabbage roses/florals in green & pinks.
This set has no chips or cracks, however each piece does need a gentle soapy soaking! Etsy Link

Etsy

________________________________

Lot of 3 Vintage Silver Charm Bracelets with Charms

3 Vintage Charm Bracelets. Two of them are Sterling Silver the other is a Monet (not sterling silver). A large assortment of charms, most of which are Sterling Silver. Etsy Link

Etsy

Favorite Links for Vintage & DIY

Hello! We are sharing a couple of our favorite links for DIY inspiration. And if you have a favorite you can share that too! Just leave us a comment. Thanks!
______________________________________________________
First up -
tipjunkie.com
This site has been around since before Pinterest! It boasts over 15,000 DIY tutorials. A favorite feature is "Tip Me Tuesday" where fellow crafters and DIYers can link their projects - it is so much fun to scroll through all the creativity and the top ten from that week are gathered together at the top. Tip Junkie linked this how-to rag quilt from muslinandmerlot.blogspot.com

Rag Quilt

____________________________________________________
oneprettything.com is a well organized website that brings you daily 16 inspiring projects. The cool thing is that they group them by categories and you can see all of them at once. Just click the ones you like and it links to the how-to! They have a "Revamp Roundup" category with links to tutorials for revamped furniture and home projects. Here is one of the most recent links:

Thrifts Store Mirror Make-Over

______________________________________________________________
apartmenttherapy.com
Their mission statement is - Helping people make their homes more beautiful, organized and healthy by connecting them to a wealth of resources, ideas and community online." And wow - do they have great ideas for transforming found items, vintage things and recycling- many of them with a small budget in mind. Visit them for ideas like this:

Skateboard Deck Shelf

___________________________________________________
Of course there is Pinterest! You can find us at pinterest.com/vtgtc. We have great board like Let's Go Glamping, Paint It Gold, & Bits of Lace.

Refashion A Lace Shirt

Nostalgic for old typewriters.

Old typewriters are finding their way back into homes and offices. Not always so much for practical use, but for the simple enjoyment of a little typing, or just looking charming on a desk... maybe even for creating art.

______________________________________________________________________

Collecting vintage typewriters is very popular. Did you know Tom Hanks is a collector?

There are collector's associations, clubs and websites dedicated to vintage typewriters.

We have gathered a few ideas for using, displaying and creating art with your typewriter.

______________________________________________________________________

TYPE A BOOK

P.J. O'Rourke (American political satirist and author) still types his columns and books on a IBM Selectric. He said that it works well for him because of his short attention span. 

Author David McCullough uses a secondhand Royal Standard he bought in 1965. "I have written everything I've ever had published on it, and there is nothing wrong with it," he once said.

Bring to your wedding

Have guests type you and your spouse a message.

________________________________________________________________

DISPLAY

a little urban vintage...

Mix with other retro finds....

Create a Christmas vignette...

Source

_________________________________________________________________

TYPING ART

This is from a 1948 Popular Mechanics 

Use a typewriter for a photo prop.....

source

Leave a message on your type writer, take a photo, print to use on a card or to just send the picture.

__________________________________________________________________

Want one? Search garage sales, thrift stores, craigslist, ebay, and antique dealers. If you go to shopgoodwill.com and search "typewriter" you will find dozens of all types up for bid.

Happy Treasure Hunting!

Pyrex Love!! Displaying, Using, & Collecting Vintage Pyrex

Vintage Pyrex kitchenware is a very hot item. 

Pyrex has been around since 1915 and was used as an every day item in the kitchen. 

Do you remember making brownies in a turquoise mixing bowl? Or being at a church potluck and spooning out a casserole from a pink baking dish?
Or Grandma's 70's printed coffee mugs?

Vintage Pyrex pieces are very trendy right now because they are pretty, colorful, and best of all functional and still very affordable.  If you are looking for a way to add a little charm and color into your kitchen- try vintage Pyrex!

Here are a few ideas to get you started displaying, using and collecting Pyrex:

Displaying

Add a pop of color to your kitchen by displaying pieces on your shelves.

Combine your Pyrex with a vintage tablecloth.



http://kitschyliving.tumblr.com/post/3565003992

 Showcase pieces above your kitchen cabinets.

 

 http://frecklednest.typepad.com/la/connect.html

Using

Bake, mix, serve!  This is a collectible that can be taken off the shelf and put to use!

 

http://www.incolororder.com/2010/06/pyrex-series-pyrex-in-action.html
 
Something Old/Something New Bridal Gift.
Give a pretty vintage baking dish (stick in a tried and true recipe written on a card), and add new dish towels and utensils. Unique and thoughtful!

Make a treat tower for a holiday party. 
This one is set for a Valentine's day gathering.

 

http://eclecticallyvintage.com/2013/01/be-mine-valentine-party-3-simple-diy-projects/

Collecting

 

http://www.pyrexlove.com/ is a great site to find a VERY comprehensive list of patterns, colors, and styles.

 

http://www.pyrexware.com is the official website and has great information about Pyrex safety.

Shopgoodwill.com is a great place to seek out vintage pieces.  Here are 4 pieces that were posted for bid this week:

 http://www.shopgoodwill.com/auctions/Pyrex-1-12-QT-Casserole-Dish-Without-Lid-13155169.html#des

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=13154922

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=13154792

http://www.shopgoodwill.com/viewItem.asp?ItemID=13145541

Also visit these four Goodwill Stores of Southwestern Michigan for pieces in their Treasure Chest Department - Alcott Street and Milham in Kalamazoo, Allegan, and Benton Harbor.
Click on this link for store directions and hours. http://goodwillswmi.org/shopping.php

Here is a collage of photos of vintage pyrex that are currently in stock at our Milham Retail Outlet in Kalamazoo!

 

Visit our pinterest board -  Pretty Vintage Pyrex!
http://pinterest.com/vtgtc/pretty-vintage-pyrex/

Thank you for your support of the mission of Goodwill by donating to Goodwill and shopping at Goodwill!

 Happy Treasure Hunting!



Vintage Brooches

Kiss Me I'm Irish... Sort of...

When Patrick brought Christianity to the pagan isle of Erin little did he know that his simple act of faith and devotion to his religion would bring about one of the most celebrated holidays aside from Christmas, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Easter.  Here in the United States St. Paddy’s Day has become synonymous with parades, warm beer, dancing, and lots of green.

As a kid I can remember how excited my mom would get about St. Paddy’s day.  She would lay out all green outfits for the kids and then precede to “leprechaun trick” the house.  Each year the little “leprechaun” would play all kinds of different tricks which, we loved discovering.  When I went away to college St. Paddy’s Day took on a whole new set of tricks but, the excitement and the green outfits remained the same.

I’ve decided to list some of my favorite “leprechaun tricks” to play on your family and friends this St. Paddy’s Day.

Magically Delicious Breakfast

Surprise your family or roommate by dying the milk green with a few drops of food coloring and a bowl of Lucky Charms.  This is a tasty surprise that everyone enjoys.

Artistic License

Grab a dry erase marker and run around the house drawing all over your family photos.  Be sure to blame that sneaky little leprechaun. 

Shoe Scavenger Hunt

In the middle of the night take your victims favorite shoes and hide them somewhere in the house.  When they wake up give them the clues and hints left behind by that “little leprechaun”.  When they find their shoes make sure they are filled with little treats and presents.  We suggest gold coin chocolates and Rolos.

After you have sorted out all of the tricks that “little leprechaun” played on your house treat everyone to a Shamrock Shake.

Got any suggestions for other “little leprechaun” tricks or traditions from your family?  Leave us some suggestions in the comments!

Oscars Drama: The Red Carpet Then and Now

Sophia Loren

One of our favorite fashion events of the season, aside from fashion week, has to be the Oscars.  The gowns, the glamour, and the crazies all come out to play on that iconic red carpet.  We decided to pick a couple of our favorite red carpet looks from this year and compare with our favorite past looks.

One of our favorite style icons has to be the beautiful Audrey Hepburn.  Who could forget her simple lace dress with battu neckline?  Her short hair and high necked dress made for a stunning Academy Award Ensemble.  We think, now that Anne Hathaway has had her hair chopped she’s been looking to this favorite starlet for some Red Carpet inspiration.  We love her high necked dress with short hair and that simply elegant necklace.  All in all, a great look to revive for the coming year.

While, most of the internet fashion gurus have been classifying Salma Hayeks’ red carpet look on the fashion don’t we love it.  We think this look was completely inspired by Elizabeth Taylor.  The heavy jeweled neck, sumptuous velvet, and hip hugging dress makes us think that Salma may be stealing from the late Elizabeth Taylor’s fashion handbook.  While, her hair is definitely over the top 60’s we love that she kept the consistency of this very vintage outfit.

 Most girls dream of either walking down the red carpet or being a princess.  If you have the incredible luck of Grace Kelly you get to do both.  Her great taste and effortless style is forever ingrained in our memory, much like the mint confection she wore to the Academy Awards Show in 1955.  What’s not to love about this dress?  Curve hugging and elegant with just a little train create the ultimate statuesque figure.  And Helen Hunt nailed it!  She took a little inspiration from one of Hollywoods’ best golden girls and ran with it.  The navy blue of this dress perfectly complements her fair skin and hair and the silver necklace adds just enough sparkle.  Simply elegant.

The red carpet is the perfect place to play with proportions.  One of our favorites was Edith Head’s dress she made for Shirley MacLaine.  Young and upcoming, MacLaine was looking to make a statement and she certainly made one with that amazing Head dress.  We saw something very similar on Oscars night on Jennifer Lawrence.  We love the fact that Lawrence decided to step out of her norm for a poofy, girly dress.  It was very flattering, but, not very stair worthy.  While, a valiant fashion attempt we think she should train a little more before she tries out another humongous dress.

We love seeing the leading ladies of Hollywood giving a metaphorical nod to the past but, we also love the dresses that are in a class all their own.  Here are our top 5 dresses of the night.

1 Queen Latifah

You just can’t beat her on the red carpet.  She looks dynamic in her all white dress with beading just around the neck and bust line; her hair is slick and elegant in that low bun and her makeup is flawless.  Overall, we give her homage for looking so absolutely effortless.

2 Jessica Chastain

Her long strawberry blonde locks caught our attention, but, the gorgeous detailing on her copper dress kept us coming back for more.  Jessica took a major risk with that copper color on the red carpet but, it doesn’t clash with carpet or her beautiful hair.

3 Zoe Saldana

Zoe looked positively fun.  Her gown choice was both age appropriate and that belt adds some edge to the carpet without over doing it.  Her old Hollywood glamour hair kept her overall look from being too severe and the floral finishing around the sweetheart neckline gave her look femininity that we don’t often see.

4 Catherine Zeta Jones

Catherine didn’t step outside her comfort zone this year, but she looked absolutely smashing.  Her art deco design gown and long dark hair was a match made in fashion heaven.  We love that she used a more natural makeup to bring out her beauty.

5 Jennifer Hudson

With that voice, that presence and that style, how could we not put Hudson on our list?  And she lives up to all of that this year with a sheer long sleeve dress with a slit to nowhere, blunt bangs, and great shoes.

The fashion do’s outweighed the fashion don’ts this year on the red carpet and we hope that trend continues.  Well, I guess it’s back to our fuzzy socks and sweaters.  We will just have to dream of dancing the night away on the red carpet.