Basement Remodel, Part 3

It's slow going, but we are making progress in the basement. This week the drywall went up, and yesterday Josh applied tape to the seams, corner brackets, and the first coat of mud. We're planning to install a wood plank ceiling, and the lumber was also ordered this week. Progress! Below are some images of what it looked like yesterday when I pulled out the camera. 

↑ The electrical panel will be framed with a nicer wood and a door added for the look of a custom built-in wall cabinet.

↑ The 2x4s on the ceiling are furrings we installed so that the wood plank ceiling can be added without interfering with the plumbing pipes.

The Thrifting is Finally Good

Not being able to source enough stock for the shop has been one of my main concerns since moving to Vermont. For the first few months I just wasn't finding dependable places to source vintage. In Boston I knew exactly where to go, how to get there, and what to expect when I arrived, but up here there isn't a true thrift store for miles and miles around. Sure, there are plenty of antique stores selling country primitives for thousands of dollars, but that's not the kind of thing I'm after.

Online searches weren't turning up much, either, so I finally just started asking around. Jackpot. Turns out most of the good thrifting spots around here aren't online. You can't look them up, you just have to know where they are. After grilling my bargain hunting neighbor and the clerk at the post office, I got a few leads that have panned out pretty well. I now have a handful of dependable spots in my back pocket, and am hitting my thrifting stride.

Yesterday I went out for a few hours and came back with a car full of treasures, a few of which are pictured above. I'm planning another outing for Saturday, so with any luck will be listing all kinds of great finds in the shop by Sunday evening [breathes a big sigh of relief].

Inspiration on Pinterest

It's no secret that I love Etsy. I run my own Etsy shop, and support other sellers by purchasing items off the site instead of at the big box stores whenever possible. It feels right to do business with individuals who put care and creativity into every item, and for whom each sale really matters.

To collect, share, and showcase the amazing pieces I discover daily on the site, I've started a Pinterest board called My Favorites on Etsy. If you love vintage and/or handmade, feel free to check out the board and follow along. I add new items each day for fresh inspiration. Enjoy!

A Wedding Dress

On Wednesday I took the train to NYC to attend a surprise birthday party and spend time with friends I had not seen in much too long. I stayed with my dear friend Marie, who is currently getting her fashion design degree at Parsons, and has graciously agreed to design and sew my wedding dress!

While Josh & I can't quite seem to figure out how to want to do this whole darn wedding thing, let alone set a date, one thing I do know is how I want the dress to look -- simple, simple, simple, and not bridey. Marie and I drew dress sketches and fabric shopped in the garment district on Thursday, and by Saturday she had a muslin sample of the dress complete for me to try. What a talent! Thank you Marie!!

Now I just need to get on that whole setting a date thing...

Images above: Bolts of white fabric at the giant fabric store Mood where we bought the final dress fabric (a crepe)  //  Dress sketch  //  Draping the dress with muslin on a body form  // Truing the lines and putting in seam allowance before re-draping on the body form  //  cutting the muslin pattern

This Morning

Images above: View from the house  //  Fern playing in the snow (per usual, Riley was inside under the covers)  //  The woods behind our house

Little Dog on Design*Sponge

Today I am absolutely thrilled to be featured on my all time favorite design blog, Design*Sponge. The article includes a peek into my Boston condo, including details about the vintage finds inside and my numerous furniture DIY projects. The Little Dog Vintage shop and this blog also get a shout-out.

Design*Sponge began featuring virtual tours of cool homes back in 2007, and since then I haven't missed a single one, so I am beyond honored to have my little condo included. Head on over to Design*Sponge to check it out if you are so inclined!

Barn Update

As some of you may remember from this post, we had quite a bit of work to do in the barn. It needed a serious cleaning job, heating, and cabinetry before it could function comfortably as Little Dog Vintage headquarters. We've made a TON of progress over the past few months, and I wanted to share an update on the space. It is by no means finished, but is really starting to take shape!

Below is the original barn "To Do" list from the beginning of the summer.

• Build storage cabinets with doors that seal shut to store shop merchandise
• Clean and paint the walls & ceilings (we spent a whole day last week vacuuming spider webs and dirt off the walls in preparation for this)
• Clean and paint the work bench that runs along the length of the left wall
• Find a large slab of limestone to set the wood burning stove on (limestone will radiate heat from the wood burning stove) (We may or may not do this eventually. The space heats up just fine without it.)
• Find flue attachments for stove & install
• Insulate the wall behind the stove to avoid damage from heat (Installed the stove 3 feet away from the wall instead.)
• Set up Internet in the barn (Using internet in the house for now, may extend the range to the barn eventually)
• Install new ceiling lights (Not yet)
• Clean and seal, stain, or paint the cement floors (Decided they are fine as is for now. We gave them a good cleaning.)
• Have an electrician fix breakers in the electrical box (we are currently only getting power from one outlet)
• Build photography setup: Make a table with wheels on the bottom out of an old barn door I found at the burn pile at the dump. This will be used as the base surface my my photographs. Buy a large piece of drywall and attach it to a rolling wall frame. This will be used as the wall background for my photographs. The whole setup will be able to roll around the workshop as needed to get the best light. (You can see the completed photo setup here.)
• Set up computer, printer, packaging supplies, etc. (Keeping most of this in the house for now until we set up internet in the barn.)
• For next year: paint the outside of the barn red with white trim (Still a next year project)

The cabinets along the wall store the vintage stock, and the top is a work space for projects and packaging. Wall shelves hold more stock, and my photography setup has found a happy home at the front of the barn where the natural light is best. Here are a few more shots...

 

 

 And finally the new workout area on Josh's side :)