Colourful rooster

This is a picture I picked up at a flee market last Sunday. I know nothing about the artist, but it's signed e. (I think. Could be l.)It's a print of some sort, on canvas, and I guess it's from the 50s, possibly 60s. If anyone has seen something similar or knows anything about this rooster picture, I'd love to hear from you.

Reversible furniture

Over at Mid-Century Modernist I saw a beautiful reversible table that is for sale via Modernicus.com. Our teak coffee table is a similar design, and I love the idea. It's very practical as well as versatile. Another great detail on this table is the woven black string shelf, which holds books and magazines. I don't know who designed my table, but I guess it's Danish. I'm certain it's Scandinavian. I bought it in a second hand design store years ago.

In our livingroom we have other reversible furniture, like the round tray table on wheels. The trays are white on one side and black on the other and the stand can easily be collapsed. It is a great extra table when entertaining. This we bought new. I think they are still in production, maybe not in teak, but I know I have seen it in a blonder wood recently. It's labelled Krüger Made in Denmark.

My last piece in this series, is a side table. I got this at a local flee market for nok 100 (about $18). I was well pleased! It's a bit worn on top and one of the doors has a long blondt streak, but I still think it's a great piece. The sliding doors have black padded insets on one side. We had it like that for a long time, but now I prefer it all wooden, despite the streak. Again, I don't know who designed it, but the brass locking mechanism on the doors indicates that it could be Swedish.

Current scoops on ebay

I just saw these two lovely vintage Swedish rugs (rya) on ebay, and thought I'd share them with you, in case one of you is on the look-out for this kind of thing. (I'd love to have them myself, but haven't really got room for more rugs). The top one is $38 and the bottom one $48 with BuyItNow. Good prices!

Visual tag

I*ve been tagged by my friend Paul over at Sweet Paul's to post 7 facts about myself. I had to get input from Frankie to do this one. I decided to do it using photographs. Don't know how interesting any of this is, of course, but here goes:

1. I'm a fussy eater (apparently. I just think I'm selective.) I don't eat mayo, mustard, certain mushrooms, avocado, eggplant/aubergine, salad dressings, sour cream, olives, cloudberries, pickles, herring, smoked salmon or liver. (There you have it, my friends - no need to ask in the future.)

2. I am the lucky owner of a black leather Arne Jacobsen egg chair. I found it in a skip! It's worn and tatty in places, but who cares? We were flat-hunting a few years back, and passed this skip outside a house were someone was clearing out. The people who threw it out obviously didn't know what they got rid of. They were happy that we wanted it and told us that there was a footstool to go with it. Unfortunately we never found it because the skip was so full. I often wish they hadn't told us that bit...

3. I never seem to know what to wear. It can take me a long time to get dressed.

4. I like to sleep in.

5. I communicate well with dogs (according to Frankie)

6. I have a slight shoe fetish. I have acquired some beautiful footwear over the years which I've never worn as I haven't really got the feet or the occasion to wear them (thanks again, ebay!). The ballet shoes were the ultimate in this context... It was my birthday (35th?) and I acutally went into a dance supply shop, sat down and tried these on, then bought them. Ah, unfulfilled childhood dreams.

7. I love theme parties where I can dress up in costumes. More fantasies unrealized, I guess!

That just about sums it up. I'm meant to tag 8 new people, which is a bit excessive, I think. I'll shorten my list to these ladies:
Cecilie at happymeat
Francesca at mrs.eliot books
Dawn at plush-a-holic

Bedroom kitsch

A little corner of my bedroom here. I got the golden owl money box (West Elm) for Christmas (thanks Paul!) It needed company, so out from storage came this white and gold pineapple lamp. I think they look good together on my vintage stacking tables.

Miniature chair

This excellent little miniature chair is from West Elm. I bought 6 of them in the sales, as I am already planning the next christmas tree...

The little vintage handkerchief underneath the chair is labelled M Bühlar and comes from Sweden.

Turi Lotte, Figgjo

I also got this lovely little salt and pepper set on ebay. Wonder if the woman figure represents the pepper?

Ebay christmas extravaganza

Here are some of the items I purchased on ebay over the holidays. Bjørn Wiinblad vase, CUM Rya rug, Finel enamelled mushroom patterned bowls by Kaj Frank, small vintage embroidered cushion from Sweden and a sugar bowl from Arabia.

Karen Walker

OK, so this stuff is old news as it's from Karen Walker's winter collection, but it's new to me. I love this outfit. Wish I could get hold of the hat! Thinking about getting some of those flared 70's cut jeans...

New products in my Etsy shop

Up for sale at my Etsy shop from today are pocket book covers that I have made from vintage fabrics. Not only practical, but decorative too. It protects your book, plus no-one will see what you're reading, it comes with a built-in bookmark and an elastic strap to hold the pages together.

This is just a small selection of patterns - please see my listing for the rest of the book covers.

Leaf patterns

I'm posting leaf patterns today. Going from top left, first row: Cathrineholm Lotus pattern on enamel bowl and pot, Figgjo "Lilli" cup, Staffordshire cups. Second row: Arabia Korona plate, Laholm vase, Gustavsberg Berså by Stig Lindberg. Bottom row all Orla Kiely’s wonderful leaf pattern on different materials: china cups, wallet and rain hat.

I am currently waiting for more lovely leafy patterned goods from my holiday ebay shopping extravaganza.

Leaf dish

This is a bowl I picked up second hand in Copenhagen. I like the way the whole bowl is an abstract leaf.

Black and white stuff

The set of 3 tins are Japanese (I think). The black jug is part of the Midwinter Nature Study series (from the 50's) and the two white dispensers with black tops are in the Ego design by Arabia, Finland.

Staffordshire pottery

These retro cups and saucers from Staffordshire Potteries in England are of special significance to me. For as long as I can remember, they were in my family's cabin up in the mountains. A few years back my mum bought some horrible cheap new stuff to replace them, and since then they've been living with me. It wasn't a painless move, however. Three of the saucers slipped out of a certain person’s hands and broke, one after another over a short period of time. These incidents prompted me to put the leftovers in the cupboard for safe storage. Until today, when they came out to be photographed to celebrate the fact that I've found replacements on ebay. Hooray!

They might be nothing special to look at (although I love the colour combo), but the look of them brings back fond memories of sunny coffee breaks out in the snow on past Easter holidays.

Simone de Beauvoir

I saw this film on TV the other night about feminist philosopher Simone de Beauvoir. She would have been 100 years today. Not only a brilliant writer/thinker but also a great dresser. I'm taken with her way of wearing headscarves in particular which I plan to copy ;-) And I WILL finish reading The Second Sex. Sometime.

Vintage rugs II

Here are the two vintage hand tufted rugs that are already in my possession. (Please excuse if the colours in the photos are not great - I'm temporarily working from a laptop PC. Waiting for my new Mac..)

Both of these rugs were in my parents house when I grew up, and I remember the turqouise one hanging on a red brick wall there. Not sure who made these. I have a feeling they might have been gifts.

I've finally set up an RSS feed, which makes it a lot easier to keep up with all of you other bloggers and all your lovely posts :-)

Vintage rugs

I have just won an ebay auction for a hand tufted CUM rug which I hope to pick up soon! These types of mid-century Scandinavian rugs have been an interest of mine since I inherited a couple from my mum years ago. According to Sköna Hem (great Swedish interior mag) they are the new antiques to have.

Found this cute photo online.

Make it burn

I love Jane Fonda. Particularly late 70s - early 80s Jane. I was going through some old files on my Mac and found these. Oh, the glamour... Must work out more in 2008!

More from the collections

I thought I'd post this while I'm at it: it's a vintage porcelain coffee set from Arabia, Finland. The design is called Pallas. I got this full 12 sets at a local flee market a few years ago. I think I paid about $46 (or £22) for it all. However, with my social life being what it is these days, and most of our friends seeming to have big problems travelling to the not very remote place where we live... (You know who you are!)...it doesn't get to come out of the cupboards very often, unfortunately.

PS. Just remembered the last time these were used; at a theme party I gave a while back. The theme was Stepford Wives (the original 70's film). Lots of great frocks!

Portmeirion

I have spent quite a lot of the holiday shopping on ebay. (I know... not much of a social life at the moment.) I'm an on-and-off shopper, and I'm currently enjoying an On-phase. Today I received the first lot - a beautiful vintage Portmeirion lidded pot and one small coffee cup and saucer. The pattern is called Totem (1963) and is by Susan Williams-Ellis. I've had it at the back of my head for a looong time and am very happy to finally own some. It comes in other colours too, like blue, green, grey and a burnt orange. I personally prefer the white.

I have some vague plans to go to Portmeirion, Wales. It looks like a really interesting place. Apparently it's a peninsula which should suit me fine as I live on one here in Norway.

Tinted love

I've been collecting black tinted drinking glasses for a few years. I am particularly fond of the wine glasses. I think I will pour some of the red we opened last night into one of them now. (Don't really get through much wine these day. )

Happy new year!