a special occasion

I’ve mentioned “occasional sales” in a couple of blogs now, so here’s the deal with them: they’re AWESOME.  As long as you’re into that kind of thing.  Which I am.  Very much.

I had never even heard of occasional sales until about a year when my mom took me to one in South Minneapolis.  I don’t think these sales exist in other cities I’ve lived in – NYC or Paris.  I think because retail rent there is too high.  (Pop-up shops are a different phenomenon.)

Now occasional sales seem to be popping up everywhere in the Twin Cities.  Maybe elsewhere, too?   But what are they?  They’re called occasional sales because the shops are only open occasionally – usually just one weekend every month.  (Thus rent must be very low.)  Most shops are open from Thursday-Saturday from 10am-5 or 6pm.  Some open on Wed or are open on Sunday, too.  It’s totally at the discretion of the owner(s).

But the fabulous things about these sales, well, there are several of them, but one is that the prices are, in general, fantastic.  Why?  Because pretty much everything is used.  Occasional sales are very well-edited flea markets housed in a storefront or a house that has been converted into a storefront.  If you like brand-new, ultra-modern designs, these will not appeal to you at all.  Part of the fun is rummaging through old stuff to find “treasures”, usually for the home.  And if you have been reading my blog since I was living in Paris, you know I love rummaging!

Another interesting thing about occasional sales is that their retail structure lends themselves to a certain amount of drama.  Because everything is old/used/sometimes repurposed, most items are one-of-a-kind (or put it this way, one would be hard-pressed to find another item exactly like it without spending a lot of time looking).  And because there are many pieces of furniture, finding a similar piece on Ebay and paying to have it shipped becomes unappealing.  All of this means that people are lined up outside the doors of these sales before opening, hoping to be the first one to nab an amazing deal.

And on a personal note, as a lover of retail, I’m excited that this new (or newly popular) type of shop has proved so popular.

So without further ado, here’s a look at my adventures from last week’s shopping, including the purchases I made at the bottom.  (The photography is not always amazing – apologies for that!)

"Shabby Chic" vignette

I almost bought this fab rusty tray

almost bought this vintage tray, too. only $13! but do I really need yet another tray?!

I loved this adorable sage green dresser, but as I have only my office to furnish, I had to pass on it

Exquisite vintage (antique?) chair for $90. If I bought it, I'd probably recover it.

vintage buffet staged with dishes & books, oh my!

a bell jar filled with totally random stuff - that's great.

At $125, I'm still considering buying this vintage worktable. I'll have to see if it's still there next month...

vintage grates/vents would look gorgeous hung artistically on a wall

this thing was so funky and would be cute in my office. but at a whopping $38, I passed it up.

strange and random stuff in the backyard space.

a metal tower? a garden trellis? you decide.

And my take-aways (literally!):

I got this mink-covered ottoman (a repurposed coat) for $69! I'm going to put some nail head tacks into it to dress it up a bit. (Tarnished silver is my mom's.)

a hobnail moonstone bottle, probably from the 1940s. ($9)

vanity tray (below silver) $12. will be great for displaying jewelry.

more spools (I'm up to 5), $6 each.

Another beloved gold mirror. It has a small chip, which I'll paint. For $4, I had to have it.

funky, vintage irons (because I still don't have enough ; ) for $5 each. will be fantastic bookends.

a "hog brush" (?!), which now holds my bracelets. $4.50.

And my pièce de résistance:

a 5 foot+ tall weathered grey metal bird cage! it's a bad picture, but trust me, this thing is awesome! I bought it to put plants in to keep them safe from my (plant-eating) kitties. $145.

Hope you enjoyed this little tour through my occasional-saling weekend!

Happy Monday!!

À bientôt,

k.

Paris’ other flea: Porte de Vanves

Yes, i’m back online.  I finally got our pictures together from two weekends ago when my boyfriend and I went to Paris’ other famous flea market, Porte de Vanves.

It’s not as “professional” as the Saint-Ouen (Clignancourt) flea market – there are no permanent stalls, vendors set up their stalls each Sunday along two residential streets just at the edge of the 14th arrondissement.  Accordingly, Porte de Vanves is MUCH smaller, and the items for sale tend to be “smalls” – antique silverware, door knockers, paintings, etc. The prices are, perhaps accordingly, quite a bit better than Saint-Ouen.

We spent an hour or two wandering through the tables.  I came away with a few old, bronze curtain pulley ornaments and my boyfriend got (surprise!) yet another map of the US from the early 1800s.  But here’s some of the other neat stuff we saw:

a quintessential Parisian flea market stand

can you see the mini rocking horse? (i know, there's a lot of visual interference!) so cool!

an early 20th century stained-glass lantern

love vintage posters!

i'm sucker for well-displayed stemware

colorful plaques

a wonderful display of randoms like hotel keys

one of my beloved sun mirrors. how i long to own one!

and a lovely wooden box in the shape of a butterfly.

Hey kids, keep digging’!

À bientôt,

k.

SW road trip, first stop: Le Mans

With 3 weeks (3 WEEKS!!) left before we leave France, we decided to hit a part of a country we haven’t yet visited, the southwest.  On our drive down from Paris to Bordeaux, we decided to hit Le Mans:

this was our inspiration for our visit to Le Mans, the city's medieval cathedral

But us being us, we naturally couldn’t resist hitting the brocante (flea market) outside of the old city.  Although the better term for this would have been ‘mini rummage sale.’  We didn’t mind.

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a 'classic' toy car

it was that type of sale - tarps thrown on the ground, covered with people's 'treasures'

The bigger part of the market was taken up by food vendors (this France, after all!):

bread for sale, bien sûr

the famous galette des rois (king cake), found everywhere in France this time of year in celebration of Epiphany

no French market would be complete without flowers

After eating a crêpe, we headed up to the cathedral.  My favorite part was its most famous stained glass window:

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Then we headed to the Vieille Ville (Old City), which is, with the cathedral, currently a candidate to become a UNESCO World Heritage site:

just the picturesque scene you would expect. but it still never gets old!

oh, how I love turrets

half-timbered houses

Wood window frames! These wouldn't even be legal in the US...

not your average manhole cover

we ended our tour of the old town at the very-geometric garden outside the medieval wall

We’re still on the move…will update as we go!

À bientôt,

k.

Christmas comes early here, a cultural lesson

I’m back in Minnesota for the holidays, and like most people, I was out running last-minute errands yesterday.  While at the cash register at The Container Store (so American – love it!), the man in line behind me complimented me on my earrings (see below).  I said, “thanks, they’re my Christmas earrings.”  Then I added, “I guess I’m wearing them a couple of days early, aren’t I?”  He replied, “well, Christmas is really a season, isn’t it?”  And there it was.    The difference between the holidays in France and the holidays in the US.  What I had been trying to explain to friends in France had been summed up by this stranger in 1 line.  

So there you have it.  And by the way, here are the earrings:

my Christmas earrings (photographed on my mom's vibrant upholstery), bought at the Gent (Belgium) flea market for 1€

À bientôt,

k.

packin’ up

What is the deal with our obsession with stacked vintage suitcases and steamer trunks?  You see it all the time, but it never gets old, does it?

a blurry pic taken at a second-hand shop in Belgium

at an antiques show in Paris

checking one out at a flea market in Paris

à la Louis Vuitton

a lovely LV display from hodinkee.com

A friend recently told me about an idea she had seen on Designsponge this past spring, where they converted a vintage suitcase into a coffee table.  (See it here.)  She said she was going to give it a try!

As for me, I haven’t yet found my perfect vintage trunk, so I’ll keep looking….

Alors, à bientôt,

k.

Lawrence Vrba jewelry

I recently discovered Lawrence (“Larry”) Vrba jewelry at the flea market in Paris.  I wasn’t as into vintage jewelry as I am now (surrounded by it in Europe!), and this must be why I had not been introduced to his designs until now.  And let me tell you, quite an introduction!  I walked into a shop at the flea market and my mouth fell open.  It doesn’t hurt that Vrba’s jewelry was among vintage Chanel, YSL, Stanley Hagler, among others.  But Vrba’s creations were stunning!  And SO ME: big and full of color!!

A word about Larry Vrba:  he is originally from Nebraska, but moved to NYC in the 1970s and began designing for Miriam Haskell Jewelry.  He also worked briefly for Castlecliff.  Having designed jewelry for over 40 years, Vrba continues to work on his wonderfully opulent pieces today.

Just to give you a tiny selection of his works, those which I prefer, here are some notables below.  And if you’re interested in seeing more, Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry has fabulous pictures of many pieces as well as more of Vrba’s professional background.

Lots of color! (photo: Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry)

One of Vrba's famous 'sultan' pins. (photo: Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry)

Another popular look: the 'sultan' incorporated into a necklace with pearls. (photo: Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry)

A bit less expressive, but just as big! (photo: Morning Glory Antiques & Jewelry)

A brilliant celebration of green from my favorite Parisian flea market shop! (photo: artdeco-giraud.com)

Ok, I’ve gotta get back to stalking Vrba jewelry on ebay!

À bientôt,

k.

Going Global

photo: 365astronomy.com

For whatever reason, I’ve recently developed an obsession with globes.  They’re my new must-have objet of home décor.  I’ve been scouring flea markets and memorabilia shops for ‘vintage’ and antiques models here in Paris.

I found a rather small one on a dainty wooden pedestal and in great shape in a vintage shop in the Marais a few weeks ago.  The shop owner was young and very friendly and spoke English, and told me that this particular globe had been made here in Paris between the two world wars.  He also showed me the mark of the company that made it and I could tell by how the countries were labeled (Africa was still under colonial rule, for example) that it was the real deal.  The problem: 180 euros.  A bit less if I paid in cash.  Even at 165 euros, that’s still US$234.  I couldn’t do it.  So I walked away empty-handed.  But I’m still thinking about it.  Maybe I’ll buy after all – if it’s still there.

Although I didn’t get the globe at the shop in the Marais, I did find one at a flea market in Ghent, Belgium for only 20 euros (about $28).  It’s old, it sits on a perfect little wooden stand, it’s got sweet touches including intricate paint work and two axises with wonderful details.  Check it out:

here it is, my little gem

the lovely wooded north-south axis

look at this neat little detail: the months of the year and corresponding astrological signs

unfortunately, the printing inside the frame has been worn away, and with it, the brand of the globe and perhaps the year it was made

I can't quite figure out what language the globe is in..Spanish and/or Italian and perhaps English?

All of this yearning got me wondering, what else is out there in the world of vintage globes?  So I checked out a few online sources.

On Istdibs.com, I found this exquisite circa 1830 (!!) American globe from Susan Silver antiques ($3900):

photo: Susan Silver Antiques

I also found this mid-20th century globe/clock/barometer/thermometer combo from Gray Morell ($1,050):

photo: Gray Morell

On ebay, I found this awesome piece – a vintage Italian ‘mini orrery tellurian’ tin globe set (shipping from Italy),very cool and only $280:

photo: ebay.com

And although Cram’s Springfield globe is brand-new, it’s the perfect complement to any room with neutral décor ($509 on amazon.com):

photo: amazon.com

Bon weekend and happy globetrotting!

À bientôt,

k.