Happy Holidays

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season... ours isn't over quite yet. We still have one more family party this coming Sunday, and then we'll roll in the New Years with a wedding. Yay!
I've been kind of a slacker this month in light of the holidays at getting everything posted and priced on my blog. As a THANK YOU for your patience and a gift from me to you, I'll take off 25% your next purchase from now till the New Years. Just reference this blog post and it's yours.
Here's a little glimpse into our Christmas festivities.

@ our house, we had a pre-Christmas celebration with some old friends and their little girl Eloise. 

Mantle all decked out with  my favorite chili lights I stole from my mom years ago.

@ Pepaw's house Christmas Eve. 

 Christmas morning @ our place.
T painted this picture for her dad.
It took us three different days to achieve that layered-texture look, and she loved every bit of it. 

T in her new playroom with her new presents. 

@ grandparents house opening round 3 of  presents. We're all fighting colds and the flu at this point
 :(
p.s. Furby might end up outside, does anyone know how to turn it off? 

Nancy Drew & the Custom Dresser

As I was sanding one of the retro blonde dressers down, prepping it to be blue for a baby nursery, a little piece of paper all folded up fell out from under a drawer. 

At first, I thought it was just a page ripped out of a book- it's a small piece of paper, typed like an old school novel. Upon second  glance, I realized it's a real Pittsburgh address, to a company that still exists, with a real license #. A key to its past life. It reads: 

Case 107 1:00 P.M. Saturday

Subject wears glasses

Drives a red 1940 Oldsmobile Club Coupe. Sun Visor

License - D6886 - DC88C (corrected in ink)

Employed by Wm. Colteryahn Milk Co.

1912 Jane Street

South Side, Pgh., Pa. 

Parks car on Jane Street

Find out where he goes when he leaves work at 1 P.M. 

I wonder if they ever found out where "suspect" goes after work. Was there a secret love affair with the milk man? Was he a friend or relative to the dresser owner? My Nancy Drew instincts kick in and my imagination runs wild. 

I finished the dresser, put the paper in a plastic bag, and tried my best to research the note to no avail. So I decided to blog about it. See what the outer realms of cyber life could come up with.

Here's the dresser in blue and its sister in white, complete with a pink peony on top. They'll go on to lead new lives with new owners- a young boy and girl who will fill them with new secrets to, perhaps, be discovered later by another generation. 

p.s. Along with the new location, I'm concentrating more on customizing pieces. If you have a special piece in mind that you're looking for, I can work with you on finding and creating that with you. Just shoot me an email at shopredesignation@gmail.com  and we'll go from there. 

The Aftermath.

A BIG, HUGE thank you to everyone who came out to our Holiday Arcade Party last Sunday at our new space. Good news: it was really a huge success. Bad news,  I was so busy I forgot to snap pictures till the very end. Some of the highlights included a Techmo Bowl tournament, a free raffle with ridiculously 80's snowsuit, lots of new furniture, and some great food (my father-in-law runs a small deli and catered for us).  For those of you who missed it, don't worry, I'll post all the furniture up like usual. The only difference is I won't be having regular shop hours, so you'll have to schedule an appointment if you'd like to see something in person. I also listed all the arcade memorabilia in our Etsy store, so if you're interested in getting you're loved ones something special for their man cave, it's easy to do, just click here. And if you'd like to save on shipping by picking up locally, that's always an option.
Here are the two pictures I was able to snap, and some more of the new furniture we have in. Coming soon, a post about customizing furniture and the mystery paper found in a drawer.

The Golden Age Holiday Party

Invitations
Front

Back

I know these are a bit hard to read on the screen, but consider this your official invite* to our GRAND OPENING Holiday Party at our new place! Mark your calendars for:

Sunday, December 2, 2012

12pm-4pm

1675 Laketon Road

Pittsburgh, PA 15221

*if you'd like a real invitation, stop by the store, or email me your mailing address and I'll be happy to send one your way! 

And now for further information I give you this SPECIAL guest blog post by none other than my husband, Tony.  So sit back, read, re-read, and reflect on the craziness that has nearly consumed my husband's soul.  

The topic of this blog:  The Golden Age (Insert your first 15 years of life here).

Open the following link and allow to play while reading the paragraph below: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dX3k_QDnzHE

I was born in 1982 in a quaint little village called Pitcairn.  I had a friend named Ted Ruxpin, but he was not My Buddy.  I didn't have a Kid Sister.  I was an only child.  He-Man once lent me his sword for an entire year.  I wore it in the back of my shirt for 365 out of 365 days of that year.  For some reason, I wanted a Power Wheel, even though I had a Big Wheel.  Pogo Sticks = weak...Pogo Ball = tubular.  I have gashed the nash.  I know that you shouldn't mess with Viggo the Carpathian.  I have been part of a standing ovation in a theater during the first  5 minutes of a movie only once.  Opening night of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.  I was definitely too young to listen to Andrew DIce Clay.  My Halloween bounties seem now to be almost mythical.  Alf was the best comedian I knew.  Heathcliff was the coolest cat I knew.  I believed all winnebagos flew after seeing SpaceBalls.  Daffy Duck over Donald Duck, Marty McFly over Biff Tannen, Schwartzeneger in Terminator 2 over Schwartzeneger in office, and Garbage Pail Kids over Cabbage Patch Dolls.  Chevy Chase and Bill Murray.  Han Solo and Indiana Jones.  Axel Foley and Axel Foley!  Night Court, Mr. Ed, Bewitched, Cheers, All in the Family, The Cosby Show, Beetlejuice the Cartoon, Family Ties, Coach Full House, My Two Dads, Perfect Strangers,  Who's the Boss, and Mama's Family.  Oh sweet, sweet Mama!  I have seen episodes of all of these shows a million times, but I can hardly remember what they were even about.  I still dream of riding Falcor.  And these are just a few things you need to know about me.  The rest can be summed up in 4 letters:  T-I-L-T!  

Tilt   /tilt/  verb:  1.  to move or cause to move into a sloping position   2.  a really boss arcade in the Monroeville Mall.

On October 27th, I had the privilege of attending a vintage arcade auction in Mars, PA.  My life has not been the same since.  Because of my love for all things childhood, I was reborn like a phoenix rising from Arizona.  I had not realized it until the auction, but I lived through what is now considered the Golden Age of Arcade.  If you were 5 to 30 between 1978 and 1994, chances are you were a part of the arcade craze.  Do you remember what it was like to have $5 worth of quarters in an arcade in those days?  We were kings.  Today, the empire is in ruins.  Arcades have taken on a whole different look.  Ticket redemption games, racing simulators, and first person shooters have taken over the landscape.  At what cost, you ask?  More than a quarter, that I promise.  Honestly, when was the last time you spent a quarter on an arcade game?    When was the last time you put a quarter on the arcade screen to enter into the gentleman's arcade etiquette agreement of calling next?  It's been too long.  The days of mall rat-dom and arcade loitering are over.  We lived it, and it looks like no one else ever will.  My daughter will never know what it felt like to defeat a seething, electric green, demon beast named Blanka.  Nor will she understand the complexity of life as a Paperboy.  How will she ever learn that underdogs can win without seeing Little Mac pick Soda Popinski apart?  What about the foreign language lesson that Q-bert taught us?  How will my daughter and her generation ever learn to handle foreign relations without Q-bert?  Don't say Modern Warfare 3!

Alas, my love for the Golden Age of Arcade has been reborn, and I have compiled a wonderful collection of art from the era.  On Dec. 2nd, my wife will be hosting an open house for her new furniture store location.  She has agreed to allow me to display my collection.  From Pac-Man to Double Dribble to Blades of Steel to Mortal Kombat, I hope that your flame will too be rekindled.  In some instances, the artwork is so visually appealing that you will not be able to look away.  In other instances, the neons will blind you with pleasure.  Light food, reminiscence, and fun are promised.  Some, but not all, of the art will be for sale.  Great Christmas gifts abound!

I'm a G.R.I.T.S.

Yes, I'm a GRITS- a girl raised in the south. For those of you who have never heard that expression, walk in any Cracker Barrel south of Virginia and you'll see shirts and hats plastered with the word GRITS. Anyways, I thought I'd share a little bit of home with you, except it's not my home- it's my mom's. A lot of you ask how I got into this business, and really when I think about it, it stems down to her. She always had our house completely decorated, with the times, and with a bit of her own spunk added. Today, my parents live the retired life in a condo in Jacksonville, Fl, where I'm originally from. Their condo, as my mom likes to put it, is "Tommy Bahama". Here are some pictures I took while I was visiting a couple weeks ago. That darn sunshine got in almost every picture, so I had my dad text me some more. Enjoy!

The Great Room.
See that glass coffee table? That was my grandpa's. He had good taste, huh? 

I think computer table's are adorable in living rooms.
This one's tucked away next to the sofa.

The Lanai. Practically another room in Florida. My mom even had it carpeted, and then layered the outdoor carpet with an animal print runner. There's a huge stone fountain off to the right for some feng shui. 

The Sunny Galley Kitchen.  

Breakfast Nook.

Dining Room. 

No dining room's complete
 without a bar cart! 

"My" Bedroom

Master Bedroom.
Complete with a beautiful view of the pond, and pet alligator- it is Florida, after all. 

Thanks for letting me post about your house, Mom & Dad. 

xoxo

Painting Frenzy

I've gone on a painting frenzy. I guess I just believe in the power of paint. I've had this bookshelf FOR-EV-ER and apparently nobody liked it.

So a few days ago, I took a brush to it, and out came this: 

I know, I know, it barely looks like the same piece. But, alas, it SOLD. Whohoo!!! He found a home. 

Want to see other things I've painted? Well here's a dresser. Not only did it get a paint job, but it also got some new knobs. 

Here are two pieces that I'm toying with the idea of painting:

I know it's a cool piece as is, but wouldn't it be awesome in POPPY? 

I'm so tempted to paint the drawers a fresh white. It'll look clean & modern and really make those neat handles stick out. What do you think?

More Patience Please

Have you ever tried teaching a one and a half year old patience? It's pretty difficult. Especially in a store setting where mama's busy helping someone and waiting is just not an option for a little one. Some of you have experienced these meltdowns from your own little ones. Some of you might have experienced one from mine, too. Well, I've finally decided to make the switch real this time. November 29th is our move out date. Whether someone else is moving in or not, we're gone. If you're just joining me on this blog, welcome. Sorry for any confusion. We're currently a store in Squirrel Hill, but soon to be moving to our new location in Wilkinsburg (see postcard below). Once there, we'll have everything posted online, and you can pick a time that's convenient for you to come and view it. 

Actual Postcard

Let's recap and look at the progress that's been made. We still have quite a ways to go, but I'm confident it'll be gorgeous come December. 

Rotten wood from the ceilings and basement

Back in the demolition days

A lot of plaster work on the ceiling. Fresh paint on the window trim and columns.

The basement's been rid of mold, dry-locked, and looks ten times better. We've put in and repainted a bathroom (yay for using leftover tiles from an old house renovation we did years ago!). More pictures to come. 

The ceilings have no more holes in them. I attacked the ugly gold columns the other day with fresh white primer. Next on the list, a painting party where we completely say goodbye to the gold and purple on the beams and say hello to more soothing colors. I choose Garden Sage from the Amazon Recyclable paint selection they sell at Construction Junction. Side note: I used this paint to redo a bathroom in the icy blue color and after adding a bit of white to the paint I loved the color and how well it applied to the walls.   

Some of you have seen things in the church pictures you've wanted to see in person...if that's you, feel free to make an appointment to see them. 

Until then, our store in Sq. Hill is up and running as usual. We have lots of great dining room/ kitchen  sets in just in time for the holidays. 

Thanks for being patient with me through all this talk of moving. I'm excited to see this store go through its next stage of life, and I think it'll allow for more creative, authentic pieces to be produced on my end. See you soon. 

love,

Redesignation

Face-lift

Hi guys! We're back from our vacation. Cruise ships are incredible! I gained 5lbs the second I walked on the ship.
No, I didn't get a face-lift, but my blog did. And so did our store hours, so take note. We're back to opening on Tuesdays.
Here are our new hours:

Tuesday-Thursday 12-5pm

Friday-Saturday 11-4pm

or by appointment

As far as the blog goes, the inventory tab is now different. Instead of searching through one tab, I broke it up into three. One for seating, such as sofas and chairs. One for tables and desks. One for storage items, and one for lighting. I might add an art and accessories tab in the future, but for now four new tabs was enough work. Hopefully it's easier for you to locate what you're looking for. 

Have a happy weekend! 

Bienvenido a Miami

Cue Will Smith's song now...

We're going on (a much needed) vacation next week to Miami. We'll be gone from Sep 1-10, but the shop WILL be open Saturday the 1st and definitely Saturday the 8th 11-5 like normal! There might be a couple days in between that my sister in law will be here during the week, so check our facebook page for updates. 

In the meantime, I've been busy packing the shop with fun items, snapping pictures and pricing everything before I leave.

What's new, you might ask? Well, for starters I'm trying out a CLEARANCE room. Remember those little colored dots? I tried to group most of them together in one space. It doesn't all fit in one room, but I tried. And here are a few more groupings of fresh, fun furniture. Alliteration? Yes, please.