A new trunk for my junk...

"We are born at a given moment, in a given place and, like vintage years of wine, we have the qualities of the year and of the season of which we are born." -Carl Jung

I could not disagree more with this sentiment.

I was born in 1983, a year which I'm pretty sure was officially sponsored by tackiness and excess (and horrible music). I'm not sure how my love for vintage and hand-made items began. I remember visiting Goodwill stores as a young teenager and spending $20 for a whole semester's worth of polyester shirts (see 'YAB Japan' bowling shirt below), funky purses, and a mod dress or two.

(Click on any of the photos in this post for a larger view.)


I don't know if it's because my mother and grandmother, in addition to having more style in their left earlobes than I have in my whole being, dragged me to so many flea markets, auctions, and antique malls while I was growing up. I think part of it is that I still have the heart of a little girl who loves the romantic notion of owning things that lived a life before me. To me, there's nothing better than finding a vintage treasure into which someone else has poured their craftsmanship and artistry. Not to mention the quality of vintage garments, furniture, and decor was head and shoulders above what it is today.

I don't "officially" collect any one thing, but the things that tend to touch me and I end up taking home are: brightly painted wooden folk art, Japanese silk paintings, and any furniture that's classic and has great lines. I'm a big believer in the "collect what you love" philosophy, rather than collecting for rarity or value.

This brings me to my most current project. My partner in most things criminal and all things design related, Mary, and I have recently been scouring yard sales and thrift stores in search of home decor and furniture items which have "potential." Potential for what, you may ask? In truth, we really don't have any solid plans at this point beyond experimenting with new techniques to restore or refinish these treasures. We'll add them to our homes, save some for future use (nurseries), and maybe sell a handful on Craigslist at some point. For now, it's enough to have something productive and design related to satisfy our nest-feathering habits.


On that note, I'm pleased and excited to report that I struck thrift-store vintage lover's GOLD! Today, at my local Hospice Re-Sale Store, I found a Lane cedar chest for $30! Originally, it was $39.95 but it was on sale for 25% off. You'd better believe I snapped it right up!

It is in good shape, but the finish needs some elbow grease. There's also a broken tray inside, which can easily be repaired because all the parts are still intact! I was disappointed that the lock had no key, but I just happened to know that Lane will replace the locks on vintage chests at no charge. I came straight home and put in the serial number on their website-- that was it, my lock is on the way!


I also deciphered the serial number and found that my chest was "born" on November 13, 1961. I can't wait to spend some time fixing it up and finding treasures to store inside. I've always wanted a Lane cedar chest, and now I have one! I think I'll put my scrapbooks and keepsakes in it for now.

This chest is almost 50 years old; I can't help but wonder who owned it before me, what precious possessions were carefully stowed inside, and how did it come to be in the thrift store?


By the way, my dog (Holly) and cat (Kittums) would absolutely not leave me alone for five minutes to take pictures, so they're in the shots. They're so annoying sometimes, it's cute.

My Lane cedar chest restoration project is To Be Continued!