Thrifting in Oblivion

In peace...

2010-11-16T21:03:00.000-06:00

I cant think of a time when the holidays couldnt come soon enough. Since I've spent this year out of festivals and shows, I no longer dread upcoming holidays and the chaos of getting ready, finding enough time to make everything and trying to figure out what people will want to take home. It will be so good to get out some good mystery books, get rid of some clutter, and walk the dogs. Hopefully wherever you are, whatever you are doing, you are going to spend your holidays in peace.

Righteous Fur Fashion Show At Ogden Museum of Southern Art tomorrow night 11/12/10

2010-11-11T19:15:00.000-06:00

Been waiting with anticipation for the Righteous Fur Show tomorrow night, downtown at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art & Design-

Stasya and I had fun taking pics down the bayou way, but my dress will need to be shored up, just like our wetlands, before it can go any further.

I'm loving the green green green look these days- anything green gets me going- what about you?

I hope some of yall show up- Meanwhile there's another show same night uptown and then the PoBoy Festival this weekend on Sundy. Heather will be there with some lovely new Fleur Debris.

Hope to see yall soon, xoxoxo!

Another year older, working on the wiser

2010-10-16T16:48:00.004-06:00

Another year older down by the bayou. As we edge closer to cool weather, it is a reminder of the milestones we've seen and the ones we're about to approach in the months ahead.Mournful ones: In December Rudy will have been gone a year. It will be the 6th Thanksgiving and Christmas without Heather's family. Joyful ones: Our cassia tree will be past the roof in height, celebrating 10 years in business, and hopefully more quality downtime with family and friends.

I didnt know what was to come this year after Rudy passed but it has turned out to be full of reaching goals. I only started setting specific goals for my business a few years ago (crazy right?)and although the route has sometimes seemed circuitous, eventually we got there.

Since the Anthropologie gig, many people have approached me asking for advice or help about how to get their Etsy business going. Plenty people have sold way more than I have on Etsy. And I dont consider myself anyone to take business advice from. In fact I am a little anti-advice about everything I do and while I second guessed my decisions a lot more in the past (even some recent ones I'll tell you about soon), it has come to pass that doing it my way has helped me reach my goals. I've never purchased or read a business book or gone to any of the websites or followed SEO people or any of that crap. I'm not on Facebook and while I dont consider marketing a dirty word, marketing myself means something different to me than it means to the rest of the internets most likely.

My way is pretty simple and it has nothing to do with any kind of guru, plan,or pdf file download for ebiz. New Orleans has a pretty wonderful closeknit craft community full of TALENT. Instead of re-inventing the wheel I just asked people what they did or have done to reach x,y or z goal. And then I did what they did. No silly I didnt copy the work they did, I just listened to them and followed their advice. I'm not talking about marketing advice, but practical advice that just applies to everyday things like best places to advertise, finding my target client, and so on.

So its really cool now to be part of the cycle where people ask me what I think (and then do it. yeah!). This happens in my day gig all the time but to have it happen with something self created is pretty cool. So now I am starting to re-envision this blog as it seems as passionate as I am about thrifting, the need to acquire a bunch of stuff is no longer in my blood. I'd like to travel lighter as I make new goals that involve far less working with stuff and more about ideas...

More to come soon.
xoxoxo,K

Blue

2010-09-29T17:07:00.002-06:00

Of all the rites of passage of adulthood, there are few more awful than that of dealing with the illness of one's beloved pet. I have been very fortunate to have had my beloved childhood pets die of old age.Fortunate really to be shielded by my parents from all death pretty much. In the past two years, my two oldest dogs died with my ex, within months of each other as they should. They belonged to each other more than they ever did to either of us, together or apart. They had nice long lives.

Both my partner and I have struggled greatly with dealing with Sheba's advanced age. There have been moments when she wasnt well, but sprightly as ever she would bounce back and we could just shrug and say she's got plenty of life left to live. This summer has been a rude awakening. Sheba is almost 16 and her health has turned for the worse this summer and now her moments are escalating. We almost lost her twice this week. Both times she was out cold, her heart stopped and then she came back, dizzy but alive and kicking eventually. Today we had to face the music as it turns out her heart is the cause of her problems and it is simply giving out from giving so much love and expecting little in return.

Now it has not turned to not if but when and there is little wondering how. This magical creature wont be here forever.She is in her sunset and our job is to keep her calm and happy. It would be nice to be shielded from this too, but that wont be the case. Thanks for listening, xoxoxo

Falling.....

2010-09-21T19:30:00.005-06:00

Who doesnt love fall right? Its my birthday season, the weather cools down,hair hangs right and festivals start up again anew. I usually love fall for those reasons and so many more but this time around there is a bit of lack of focus.

I am in a bit of creative quandry- Christmas feels like it is approaching so rapidly and yet all of my fabrics have arrived for spring. When you design clothes, you want to stay on top of it a few seasons ahead but you still have to get through the season at hand to afford it. Also I feel like my style is shifting and am not sure which way to go with it.

And did I mention- not reforming the appropriate company structure for my business post Katrina is looking like it will create some problems for me. I just dont know what to do. In the meantime, shrimp are back in season and the Saints are playing again in the city that care forgot. Well there are some big orders to finish and other wonderful goings on behind the scenes here so must toddle off amigos. Thanks for listening to me ramble!

2010-08-27T16:04:00.009-06:00

About five years ago this time I was packing up the home I had just purchased and unpacked into. The home has a main house in the front and a small mother in law apartment in the back. The mother in law apartment is why I chose this house- it was 1000 square feet of wonderful space to put our burgeoning art business into and it had auspicious roots as a secret gaming establishment on the edge of New Orleans in the 1930s. The owner, a third generation family member who had lived in the home for fifty years and her husband's family for fifty years prior, told us many stories about the home- of climbing to the attic during Hurricane Betsy, a fire in the downstairs of the studio where grown men gambling had jumped out the windows on top, many of them injuring themselves rather dramatically(her husband, just a boy at the time, injured his leg permanently in that fall and was never able to walk properly- he was autopsied at death and the leg had not been properly cared for and was crooked below the knee).

So with all of the seriousness that comes with a first home purchase, I warily eyed a small storm hitting Florida a few days earlier and took my new Home Depot Charge card and window measurements to the orange behemoth for plywood. The store was pretty dead for a Monday afternoon and I marveled at being there for less than an hour to get all of that wood cut. It took much longer than an hour to load and unload all of the plywood into by 1985 Jeep Grand Cherokee (with pristine wood sidewalls,sigh), tearing the upholstery even more to bits in the process. My girlfriend laughed at me, saying she was going to end up using all of that wood for the kitchen subfloor.

We had spent several months working on the front house's interior. It took us three months to move in and we had two rooms finished- both bedrooms- and the rest of the house was completely empty. One bathroom had been completely dismantled and was in the dining room ala Holly Golightly- claw feets and all. Everything we owned except for work clothes and a newly purchased microwave was all in the back studio building, safely tucked away until room by room, everything was done.

Little did we know we should have boarded up the little studio in the back and not worried too much about the house...

To be continued

Goodwill and Goodwillllll on the Gulf Coast

2010-08-22T10:13:00.002-06:00

We had a lovely break from the hectic studio rebuild, business brouhaha, and stress of family illness down by the emerald shores of the Gulf Coast. Why no pictures you ask?

Well, save for a brief foray to one of our favorite places in Destin that used to be a cool restaurant and now is a GOODWILL - a wonderful goodwill full of fabulous stuff- so good, I left as have gone thrift abstinent for the summer so nolasalvage could spend three hours to her hearts content with almost two carts full of stuff.

No I didnt even bring my camera and save for a few phone photos of the rushing waves, spent time soaking up rays and the smell of the water. And tons of sand. Even after vacuuming twice, there is still sand- where is it coming from?

It was beautiful there- we found a great condo across from the beach- owned by a local who was struggling seeing as the summer had been so slow. We ate wonderful seafood and even took in the fabulous Cirque du Soleil, front and center which has inspired some great things for fall. Being under the midway, the stars, the sun and sand, enjoying delicious sweetwater Georgia Brown ale. Ah it was great. A nice way to replenish for the coming fall and enjoying the coast, just like it should be.

It's almost here- Anthropologie Opens in New Orleans tomorrow, Friday the 13th!!!!

2010-08-12T11:15:00.008-06:00

It's here- Anthropologie opens here in New Orleans tomorrow and I'm really psyched to have been chosen to design something for the shop. They are calling the capes "necklaces". It would be a rather large gothic necklace- sort of like aztec doily chic meets liberty of london. You would have to go there yourself to figure it out, so please do. Meanwhile, we're hitting the beach for a last hurrah before the school semester begins, so wont be able to check the shop out until next week but a little birdie or two has told me it looks gorgeous! marveleux mon amies! go visit or check out this article:
http://www.nola.com/fashion/index.ssf/2010/08/post_8.html

just in case you wont be in New Orleans Anthropologie, but are looking for a BayouSalvage fix, we have some new stockists:

New Jersey:
Summer Studio, Avalon

South Carolina:
Pack Rats, West Columbia,

Washington:
Seattle Gift Show, Vintage Collection, w/ Reborn Rubbish

California:
Botany's Desire, Riverside (arrives September)

New Hampshire:
White Home Collections, Wilton (arrives September)

Texas:
The French Cupboard, Marburger, Round Top (October)

and new locations coming soon, so shop and enjoy your bit of New Orleans history, steeped in the Deep South, whisky cured,xoxoxo

p.s. the fab pic above, and many of the others are by the lovely talented Janet Antene- she styles, models and takes the photos- so talented!

A Whirlwind Summer

2010-08-02T19:34:00.002-06:00

Can you believe it is August? With everything that is going on with the oil spill, the 5 year anniversary of Katrina, a crazy busy Etsy shop and a staggered home renovation, really havent had the time to get all the fall designs in order. And now Fall is here- back to school in two weeks. Of course it is difficult to even think of falling leaves, unless they are falling from the extreme heat we have been under. It doesnt matter how quickly fall comes, as long as it cools off at some point, right?

I've been beating the heat by staying indoors, watching movies and trying to put into linen and thread so many of the ideas that follow me to bed at night and wake me up in the morning. Hopefully more to come real soon!

Holding Patterns

2010-07-11T12:45:00.003-06:00

Well we just keep on trucking along here. In spite of crazy articles about the potential for inevitable methane explosions, world economy collapse, and the sheer lack of grilled oysters around these parts it is business as usual. As long as there is some usual business, that is.

I'm sort of contemplating how my business can be portable in case of an extended hurricane evacuation.Katrina happened and I moved my business online and into another city,albeit temporarily. I didnt evacuate with machines or stock, but as soon as we could legally come in to "look and leave," I filled up serious loads of fabric and mcahines. What will happen if we have a gas influenced evacuation? We wouldnt be allowed to come back for a while one would imagine. Should I evacuate with samples?

Would love to hear how other artists are planing for their business and evacuation.

p.s. One thing I've been working on is wedding dresses. I ordered some silk hemp fabric and am looking forward to playing around with it.

Everything that rises must converge or Sisters are doing it for themselves!

2010-07-03T15:44:00.004-06:00

I'd like to say this project began with noble intentions but it didnt. Purely out of anger, I started working on this building because I was so pissed off. Perchance, some acquaintances let me know that a friend of mine had told them I was a hoarder and that my home was overflowing with stuff. I really hope that it was said with a "bless her heart" kind of attitude(because yes my home is overflowing with wonderful stuff- some is dog hair but the rest is pretty nice stuff not cat poop or old pizza boxes) yet something about how this was conveyed to me told tells me it wasnt. At any rate, it forced me, along with my anger: Katrina, my 6 year knee injury from an accident that wasnt going to amount to anything near an appropriate settlement for my physical loss,the oil spill, and the sudden passing of one of my dearest friends to get going. It takes a lot to get me moving around and as much as I use stuff to hide my feelings this couldnt be contained.

I'd like to say this was my plan all along for this space but it wasnt. I wanted to buy the latest top notch recycled building materials like we put on the roof. But all the brochures were laying about (with all my "hoarded" stuff) and the materials were frankly too expensive in relation to the budget(about $0). So I went out to the yard!

While starting this renovation, I paid several hundred dollars to get wood hauled away, putting my favorite pieces or sentimental pieces of wood and metal aside. Yes I have sentimental wood- old, 100 ++yr old cypress, shutters from an old apartment that were thrown out by my landlord, a bit of frame from our furniture that was shredded in katrina, blah blah blah. Found objects that I stockpile, so on and so on. My house and yard is so cramped because we lost 1000 sq feet of (uninsured) studio space in that stupid storm and I have just hidden all of that anger with junk all about. So it's time to use it or lose it.

So now, the load is a little less lighter with both junk and anger. I appreciate having a place to say it. Next time it will be a happy post full of beignets, smores and kittens snuggling.

xoxoxo,K

Making Lemonade...

2010-06-27T15:14:00.005-06:00

Almost 70 days since the oil spill and 2months until the Katrina Anniversary and here we are:

Once we got started on the studio building it got hard to stop. This solution is really the best because sheetrock is not my style, the table saw is too scary to use and all this takes is the miter saw.

I envisioned this space to be all white but every time I make plans for this something happens- like a bunch of fab rusty junk dying to be used. So I havent been blogging as much or anything else but sawing, sweeping up dust and plotting the next step in this renovation. Hope yall are having a productive summer too.

Warning: Head in sand alert!

2010-06-11T10:39:00.004-06:00

I'm making a pledge this week to pretend, for one week, that nothing has happened to our coast or might happen to us in the future. I wish I had medication,therapy or enough french fries to quell the growing lack of ease in our community about what is to come. I'm just going to pretend like everything is a-okay and mow the lawn, paint the cabinets and maybe find a beach to visit.

Putting a face on your assistance ... the Gulf Coast Oil Spill How you can help

2010-06-05T12:53:00.003-06:00

Houma Newstand. All papers bemoan the Spill May 2010

As many of you know, I have been collecting donations in my Etsy shop for Gulf Coast Oil Spill assistance. I first chose Matter of Trust, the wonderful group of people out of San Francisco who recycle hair and stocking into boom to soak up the oil from our fragile waters. I contacted Matter of Trust about how I could better assist their group, seeing as BP was not agreeing to take the boom. John Thurston, from Matter of Trust asked me to go down to Grand Isle and hand out the money. So I did. Well I tried to but see Grand Isle was deserted due to the OIL and the BP lock down on the beaches. So I headed over to Houma Nation Headquarters where I had been once before. No one was home there either.

So I have been trying to find a way to help the Indian tribes that have so far been through enough due to Katrina, Ivan,Ike and Gustav. Finally I got in touch with Chief Albert Naquin from the Isle de Jean Charles Band of Biloxi-Chitimacha Indian tribe. You may remember that their tribe was completely wiped off of the barrier island they lived on for centuries in Katrina. And here is what he said: no (none, nada) money has found its way to ANY of the members of his tribe that work in the now defunct fishing factories that process the (forever lost)seafood when it comes inshore. Many of these families lived paycheck to paycheck in the first place and this oil spill has sent their tribe into even deeper trouble. So those of you who are weary of sending in donations to people you dont know or cannot be sure to help- well dont worry here is his email to send PAYPAL funds:

whitebuffaloa@netscape.net

If you would like to send supplies- they are in desperate need of FOOD, sundries, etc, please email me at bayousalvage@yahoo.com and I will give you his information so you can send it directly to the tribe.

If you are local and want to donate, I will be going down there soon to assist so email me about that too. I am tired of sitting around wrenching about how this is going to screw up all of our lives forever on the gulf coast. The time to reach out is now.XXOOXX Kerry

Do you remember the time?

2010-05-28T07:49:00.003-06:00

Just when we were starting to feel a sense of normalcy again post Katrina, BP sideswiped us again with this horrific disaster. It is so hard to post shiny happy discoveries and newly created ETSY items when the sense that our community is shifting towards some unspoken abyss is in the room.Never a one to take token media observations at their word (hey this is the house where pirate radio tried to take a choke hold on the airwaves one week after Katrina only to be scared off by the Gretna PD), I ventured down to see for myself what was going on.

Grand Isle was frighteningly quiet. Not a soul combed the streets except for news outlets and army vehicles. Fresh signs detailing holiday rentals, parties to come held deflated balloons and the sense of energy expended for naught.Like a canceled birthday party or runaway bride, the town known for its memorial day festivities had the air of impending doom as if cancer had just been declared.

The beach, usually strewn with families, hungover revelry,the feckless enjoyment of the sea sight was festooned with white tents and white suited workers, organized and prodded by olive drab butlers.It was straight outta Margaret Atwood. You would expect the sea to be birthing aliens, three headed lochness monsters, detritus of science fiction nightmares. Instead it was murky sand.

The bags looked to be filled with sandy lab experiments gone wrong, molasses spilled over burnt cornbread,the earth's tears.

I've always tended towards dramatic observations myself. Tears come to me easily as do reckonings that are lumpy and uncomfortable. This sight and the consequent thoughts remind me of a diagnosis, a waiting for the hangman, 16 hours on a highway with no clear knowledge of where we are going or what we are leaving. This place wrenches you with love and horror. It tests your faith and hope. It leaves you slack jawed and wordless-thrown into the unknown.

New Designs and Old Ideas from down de bayou

2010-05-10T21:18:00.004-06:00

I've been trying to get some of these designs out for Spring before Summer actually hits down by de bayou. We've had a brief cool spell- mornings and evenings have been great. Well until the winds changed this evening and that awful burning oil smell hit.

Thanks everyone for crossing your fingers for me last week. Everything went just fine just waiting to see what happens.Or if nothing does. Either way, I'll let yall know when I know more myself.

Until then I am working on these designs and phasing out some of my other collections. We're trying to hit the beach before the oil comes further inland and some other travel and interesting summer plans.

I've been working on a book proposal off and on the past year. I'm going home in the next few weeks and hope to get my mother's help with the outline. She's been a librarian for almost 45 years and of course reads constantly. My hope is to phase out some of my designs, stick with the ones that are working and spend more time writing,so we shall see.

I'll keep you posted when more details become available. See yall later, K

Getting Ready for my Big Day

2010-05-02T17:39:00.005-06:00

Well I have something coming up. I cant talk about it because it is jinxable. Jinxable as in please cross your fingers as it is something I have wanted for like forever, like 15 years forever or maybe just ten years because it didnt seem possible at all 15 years ago.

And like everything else that seems to happen these days, it came up spur of the moment and because of ETSY, so wow thanks to that wonderful place this is possible.

And now I have to go deliver all of these things and I wont be able to get good pictures because it has been raining or windy or we've had an oil spill smell wafting through the air so the outdoors has been off limits.

Well so here goes and please cross your eyes, fingers and everything else for me! Hopefully some good news will come, but if not, it's still wonderful that this was possible, like really really, so yay Bayou Salvage.

xoxoxo, see yall later,
Kerry

My one of a kind VINTAGE Liberty of London Ruffle TanksGetting Ready for Shows and Jazz Fest Season

2010-04-24T07:32:00.004-06:00

It's Jazz Fest time down de bayou- the past few years that seems to mean rainboots and ponchos. I was hoping my new raincoats would be ready to sell by now but issues with the fabric have come up. So its back to the drawing board and maybe by monsoon season (July?) I'll have them ready to launch.

In the meantime, I'm working on incorporating the vintage liberty fabrics my Aunt ALice left me into everything possible for Spring and Summer.I sold out of all 50 at Round Top by the first weekend so am really hoping the Farmchicks show the same love until my copycats arrive. It was disappointing to hear I had a copy cat at Round Top - just two booths over this time- every garment, every accessory, bleh. I've always got tons of ideas anyway, so that's fine- it was just a bit of a drag. Just wait til Fall Marburger salvagistas!

Anyhoo, I'm churning these tops out and enjoying April in New Orleans. It's a bit rainy but lovely all the same.Hoping my next pics will be MAY FLOWERS!

Seasons Change & Good Times Down on the (urban) Farm

2010-04-18T14:05:00.004-06:00

What a difference a month makes. It was still a bit chilly and rainy last post. Then the sun came out and I got busy planting:

I know most people are busy plotting their victory gardens full of tomatoes and butterbeans, but down de bayou we get real serious about flowers! My grandmother made me work in her garden every summer, and bless her heart at 87, she still tills the soil up every spring and under every September. I prefer the garden full of flowers, and if the plants also yield something to eat, great. I truly dont trust the soil here, nor feel much comfort in food grown in plastic containers out in the hot heat with icky miracle grow (plant food should not be blue).

After planting my seeds, I hit some estate sales:

I love this color of vintage pink. Its not peach, not pink. My mother would call it shrimp.

Speaking of shrimp, fish meal makes the best fertilizer. You can get a quart of it at Whole Foods and it will last all summer long. I used to use chicken manure but it made my flowers too leggy. It does smell better than fish meal though...

I'm hoping that these plants will all grow. We lost almost every plant in the yard during the freeze: plants that all lived through Katrina, trees I nursed in planters year after year until able to buy my house,plants given to me by my Aunt Alice who is no longer with us. The yard looks a bit forlorn, and uncared for so we shall see. I have planted all of the sunflowers I can find and taking small solace in vignettes seen while sitting in the garden- soft focus preferred.

So two weeks I got this lovely french vintage ticking at auction. I couldnt resist and lay awake at night thinking of things to do with it. I am busy trying to keep these paws off of it:

A very helpful garden gnome who likes to chew the peat pockets and barks at the cats who try to jump in the flats of seedlings. Who doesnt love spring?

Beware the ides of March and Marburger/Round Top

2010-03-21T08:57:00.006-06:00

Salvagistas- where did March go? In between (insert illness, too many events, and a big show here), everything has been a blur. We have had great sneak peeks of spring with 70 degree days and 50 degrees at night. Today it is crisp and clear, about 55 degrees and the garden is in a curious limbo between holding back for winter or springing forth. Me too.

Round Top starts next Thursday, so I have a push to get to post some last minute items that will be headed Texas way soon enough. The items I've been working on lately are very bridal as have outfitted three brides this month and it's so much fun to play with white. Also it only requires one color thread, ha ha.

I hope everyone will be coming by the Hillcrest Inn, Blacksmith Shop, Back Porch area in Round Top next week. Check back with me soon, we have some big Salvage news coming up for April.
See yall later!
xoxoxo

p.s.I was in two, couldnt be more different magazines this month- Mother Jones and Southern Flourish. Just the sort of irony Rudy would have appreciated...

Marburger Bound, Fashion Shows, and Everything else...

2010-03-09T11:42:00.002-06:00

I've finally survived the two weeks post Mardi Gras- weekends bookended by two fashion shows and including costuming for a film, three different concerts and Rudy's Jazz funeral.

Everything went well- hope my costumes were good enough for the film- they ended up taking the collar off of one dress and changing the coat several times to the one they originally bought before I was on board.It was really hard to do the film due to scheduling changes. They chose the one weekend I could not be there and my all time busiest week of 2010. They knew in December that this was my schedule, so the best that could be done was done and hope it turns out. The director and script are fantastic so how bad could it be?

We also survived Rudy's memorial. It turned out to be a successful fundraiser and we got some closure. I swear Rudy was there the whole time.Finally got rid of the Christmas tree and am going to delete his email and number from my phone. It feels worse than it did in December. It is real, he is gone and terribly missed. Love and hug your friends- you never know how long you have with them.

Marburger bound in just three weeks. I need to get out of town and may just go for the hell of it.All of my goods have to be delivered on St. Paddy's day. Its one hell of a lace tornado down de bayou until then.

See yall soon!
Kerry

Jazz Funeral for RK Rowell aka Rudy Rowell March 6,2010 Freret Market New Orleans

2010-02-28T13:28:00.003-06:00

I hope everyone is going to come out for the Jazz Funeral for Rudy next Saturday at the Freret Market, Freret at Napolean, about 1pm. There will be an art auction that day to benefit the American Heart Association in Rudy's name. We miss Rudy and this will be a great way to celebrate his the life and the people he touched. Let's put the fun in funeral!

Its still carnival time down by de bayou Salvagistas!

2010-02-21T10:06:00.003-06:00

I've been burning the midnight oil getting ready for Marburger and trying out new designs for my ~salvagistas~ in big ole Texas. I was pleased that my satin disco inferno blouse sold out so quickly on Etsy - hopefully this means good things to come in Round Top. I hope so!

I have a fashion show this week and it will be complete sewing madness around here til April so may not be able to surface for a while. Wish me luck and let me know what you guys think & will touch base. If you are going to be in Texas for Marburger, please let me know as am planning to be there for preview weekend.

Of Liberty of London Chintzes, Doberge Cake and going LOW CARB

2010-02-19T07:57:00.002-06:00

It's Lent.

Ah once again we must turn away from the evil sucre, flour and all things pale and tasty.

I combined these sweet vintage liberty of London chitzes left to me by my Aunt Alice and heavenly heirloom laces into cuffs for Round Top. Yummy!

Mardi Gras and Superbeaulx Over, time for Round Top/Marburger

2010-02-17T08:56:00.003-06:00

Ah the magic of Margi Gras and the Superbeaulx is so over- it is time to get cranking out the next 6 weeks of work for Marburger Round Top and costumes for the Indie film I've been working on. The film will shoot in three weeks and Texas is in 6 weeks.Ungawa!

I can tell you how fresh and festive and Spring-like its been looking in my studio. I dug out the sweetest Liberty chintzes left to me by my aunt Alice and have been festooning lace and ruffles and linen all around. My camera is out of commish or would have taken pictures already. Needless to say we're getting a much needed dash of color in just the right tones of pink, teal and cornflower blue with of course the whitest white,cream,tea dyed linens and such.

I've been inspired by the dull dead plants all around contrasted with the costuming and flights of fancy we've had due to New Orleans festivities. I'll cheerfully take the cold any day it brings the winning Saints team, marching bands springing up out of shadows and feathers in the air.

Spring is just around the corner and it feels so good, considering the cold wet winter and the loss of our dear friend Rudy and his wise counsel about all things southern, fun, and super fried.It's Ash Wednesday so off to forget the revelry and back to work.
See yall in texas!

Complete and utter chaos getting ready for San Francisco International Gift Fair and Round Top Next

2010-02-02T21:11:00.002-06:00

You may want to squint before looking at this photo:

It is painful to post but it is part of what has been driving me crazy.My home is a chaotic mess due to making stuff.I know it is true because Heather came home with news of this crazy fab studio today and we both considered moving all of our crap there and maybe ourselves too as this house is just not big enough for all of our stuff, plus art stuff plus pets.We cant afford it one bit yet somehow it doesnt matter as it looks so much better than what we have now.

I have to get this room cleared out in a few days for these new/old fixtures purchased to organize all the crap in here. And, I am still shipping out for the San Francisco Show and then have a 6 week turn around for Round Top/ Marburger Antique Show. Did I mention my rep wants me to go wholesale and just take a few accounts. I will be the lace ruffle farm.

Plus I am costuming one film, working on pre production for a video and then a producing gig for a documentary. Plus Mardi Gras, raising money for this scholarship fund at work and planning Rudy's Jazz Funeral.Scratch this as a photo of my sewing room, this is my brain off of drugs. And not one of this events has been enough to raise enormous bucks, but I am still interested in them so we shall see.

So this is just a portion of the clean up job ahead. I think the box of industrial sized garbage bags should do the trick, eh?

Who Dat Nation!

2010-01-27T16:52:00.005-06:00

It doesnt seem like so long ago when I was gifted a Who Dat shirt (and an Andy Gibb album) from our cousins down by de bayou in the 80s. Archie Manning and the Saints have long been a part of my family's mythology- from swimming daily as a 4 year old in the Sigma Nu pool at Ole Miss (down the street from our campus apartment) to my first word "peprally."

Many nights after a football game in the Grove and a bit of whisky loosening the tongue,my father often waxed poetic about Mississippi's contributions to football and everlasting Southern glory.Oh yeah and red heads- my dad seemed to think that was a contributing factor to football glory- his, Archie's and others.

When I was younger it was Archie, then John Fourcade, and finally Deuce McAllister who took the 1-55 to Sainthood.Joe Horn attended Ittawamba Community College in Fulton, where my grandfather lectured and he became part of our collective football magic as well.

We didnt have season tickets or attend games firsthand, but football on Sundays meant a Saints game on in our house. The first Christmas after Katrina, Heather and I made sure all of our gifts were New Orleans related. many of our relatives got Saints jerseys- some were bewildered (especially the Eagles fans)but we wanted to spread the message.

They were timely gifts, as New Orleans advanced to a winning season.My dad has always emphasized being a real fan, win or lose (hence his passion for Ole Miss) and Imust confess, I think the satisfaction of being a long term Saints fan in this situation is pretty sweet. In the dusky, rusty,broke down afterglow of what our city has been through, no matter your neux dat or who dat status, it feels DAMN GOOD!

GEAUx SAINTS!!!

Carnival, Shows and Saints!

2010-01-24T05:51:00.002-06:00

It's been a busy week down by de bayou. The weather has come from freezing, to hot to back again and my schedule has been hit by el Nino too it seems, going from vacation and back to the hectic swing of meetings, work, and events.

In the middle of it all, my studio is under construction (or is it deconstruction) to prepare for my new fixtures purchased from the soon to be closing fabric store.I'm really forcing myself to get rid of items there is no room for.

I decided to list these two dresses in my Etsy shop. Have to make room for the new junk, by getting rid of the old junk. Check them out yall and GEAUX SAINTS!

Custom Orders and San Francisco International Gift Fair down by de bayou

2010-01-18T18:10:00.002-06:00

Ah its the last day of this beautiful vacation and we've been cramming in every last bit of sewing we can to get ready for the SFIGF and take care of custom orders. These tops are starting to grown on me and so I made one to wear to work tomorrow (to go with my black nails- GEAUX SAINTS) and I am going to offer them to brides.

Tomorrow is when we start cutting into the dreamy vintage Liberty fabrics for spring slips for the show. Cant wait! Okay Salvagistas, that's an update. I am also working on my Southern Gothic Manifesto, to be coming soon.

See yall around the salvage pile,xoxoxo.

Cleaning up for the new year

2010-01-15T16:24:00.003-06:00

I've been trying to get my "studio" area cleaned up for the next big show. We donated boxes to AMVETS, brought five or more boxes to the craft swap, and are getting ready for the Salvation Army to come at the end of the month. It never seems to end, but the good news is that I dont need ANY doilies for the San Francisco Gift Fair :)

Stay tuned for pics of the clean up. The before pics are scary so I'll wait til to post those. 8 hours in, and probably 30 or so more to go. Plus a visit to the attic. Wish me luck!

My Southern Gothic Clothing line copied by Mod Cloth

2010-01-13T09:43:00.005-06:00

Salvagistas you have not arrived until you've been ripped off. I am so happy that a sweet reader forwarded this link to me. Thanks Mod Cloth for advancing my line!

Nutria palooza fashion show a huge success

2010-01-09T12:39:00.003-06:00

Nutria palooza fashion show was a huge success. 15 designers rocked their nutria pelts before a sold out crowd and the cello by Helen Gillet and the mystic knights of nutria. We had a great time and I have to thank the lovely Mallory Whitfield for being my model. She looks good in anything, but she put a fabulous spin on what they called my look backstage :" dead & pretty." That's just how I like my decay anyway.

The next show is a benefit for the Bridge House, Feb. 26th. Cant wait to put that one together. Thanks for coming out everyone and thanks again to the organizer Cree, for inviting us and Mallory for making us look good.

Happy New Year and Welcome 2010

2010-01-03T09:36:00.004-06:00

Have been so looking forward to 2010. If I had only known what 2009 would have brought it might have been hibernation until now. How fitting that it is epiphany week.
I'm working on putting out new things and also really excited about some events coming up. We have the righteous fur fashion show this friday night- it comes with an opportunity to go to New York Fashion Week. Then I have the San Francisco International Gift Fair at the Moscone Center the weekend of Feb. 6- will be in the vintage clothing section. And then we have Round Top/Marburger Antique Fair March 30-April 7. Lots of new ideas in the works. As always, if you are in the area you can check out my booth at Foundry Square, 4310 Magazine Street, Tuesday-Saturdays, 10-5. Next to Casamentos (try the Oysters there).

Merry Christmas

2009-12-23T20:15:00.001-06:00

out of focus,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

looking forward to 2010 like you wouldnt believe!
peace & beignets,
the salvages

freret market

2009-12-22T08:28:00.001-06:00

freret market,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

We made it through market season, wow. Just a few deliveries to make in the debrismobile and then we are hasta la vista until 2010. So ready to put this year out of its misery and spend time with fam/friends.

Today I meeting and taking orders for my shows this spring. Let's hope it is fruitful!

wishing you peace & beignets always and see yall in 2010

Is that all there is?

2009-12-16T12:00:00.001-06:00

DSC03750,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

I thought I was going to be fine today but the struggle began early. Is that all there is? Work hard and then be taken like the rapture- you just leave your body and that's it? I'm having a hard time thinking all of this stress of business is worth it at all. Rudy would probably disagree. He was a clever businessman. I just dont know anymore.Does anyone else?

RIP RK Rowell

2009-12-14T16:54:00.003-06:00

Rudy Rowell,aka RK Rowell, aka Vigoboom
This is a tribute to our friend Rudy Rowell, RK Rowell, Vigoboom. Many of you have known our beloved Rudy his whole life, some during school and others in his later years where he reinvented himself as an artist. I would say he has been an artist his whole life- the art of making and being a friend to others.

I only knew Rudy for 3 years. We met at an art market and instantly became friends. I would gradually find that Rudy had this ability to make and keep friends for decades because of his endearing charm and grace of making everyone else feel special.We would set our tents next to each other and through the corner of my eye would watch as he nodded heads with each new person, making them smile. They always left with one of his paintings- not just because he was a fantastic painter, but because he was a truly special person and they bought into that- literally.

I never knew Rudy as a young man growing up in Mississippi, or as a teacher and bandleader. But over the three short years I knew him, I met the lives he touched as they came by during events or as he spoke of them. He often stayed connected with people he had to let go when he worked with for a Casino.I believe he commented that it was a perfect job for him because he understood people and appreciated them even when they could not do their jobs right. This is so true.

As we became closer friends he shared his family and the illness of his family members with us . I witnessed the courage and compassion and sense of humor that had brought him to where he was to that day. Rudy’s grief and sentimentality for his grandmother was evident. He often spoke of her, the things she cooked and the way certain scents reminded him of her. He missed her dearly and lamented her passing.

Rudy’s sense of kindness was also present with the extended illness and inevitable passing of his stepmother Jeanie and his father Joe. Rudy was the patriarch of his family and took responsibility for their care and comfort. His brother’s Len’s death had left him the oldest brother and it was a burden but he took it on, knowing he was strong enough to do so.

Rudy’s strong sense of fairness and community came from his mother Sherry. I had never met a family where the ex wives were friends and the son called his mother by her first name.Both Brett, Sherry and Rudy bantered about with each other like best friends- bound in grief, they uttered out one-liners with an abundance and easy confidence of family members who knew each other truly well. And they did.

Rudy’s fairness and ability to make others feel special was no more apparent when he and his brother bonded together after the death of their father, Joe. Rudy remarked several times how grateful he was that he and Brett became closer after their father’s passing. He was enamored of Brett’s talent as a musician which only became known to the world after his death.

Rudy’s ability to share his grief over his father, stepmother,grandmother and brothers Len and Brett his kindness and his ability to make us smile were no more apparent than with his friends. Rudy was torn over moving back to Bay St. Louis to be with his best friend Bryan or move closer to New Orleans where his business was. He often said his heart was at the coast. Bryan was a significant part of that.

Rudy had the uncanny generosity of spirit to encourage and spark the best in what he called, his “tribe” of friends. Whether bonded by disappointment,creativity or a sense of fun, Rudy made you feel like he was your biggest fan. Because he was.

He loved his friend Christie for her take charge attitude and his doll-face Heather because of her work ethic among myriad of qualities he appreciated. He commiserated in late night phone calls with Sherry Dole, another talented artist looking for her breakthrough. Justyn was like his own son. He was your biggest fan.

There are so many people I’d like to mention that Rudy spoke of and spoke of often-Paula, Valerie,so many people, he loved you, thought of you and wished only the best for you. I know there are others I cannot recall in grief, but you were adored. Each one.

Rudy took so many of us in, last but not least his dog Finn and reluctant newcomer Don Draper. Finn was his heart and only got the best that Rudy had to share. He was lucky to have had such a good daddy. Don Draper the cat was going to come around. Any day now.

Rudy was appreciative of his success and wanted to share it with us all in his new gallery in Covington. He wanted to “get off of the streets” and was tired of the relentless circuit and politics of art markets. Everyone wanted his work but what they really wanted was a piece of his love. He had so much love to give and gave it freely, with a bit of sarcasm and home truths thrown in.You cant talk about Rudy without thinking of his wit and ability to poke fun at our own shortcomings. We needed it, we needed him and we will miss him dearly.

One of Rudy’s favorite movies was Steel Magnolias. a quote” I would rather have thirty minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of nothing special.” We’ve had 46 years of wonderful. We are so grateful.

Mardi Gras Indian by Rudy Rowell RK Rowell

2009-12-13T09:36:00.001-06:00

Mardi Gras Indian by Rudy,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

I am so happy to say this was based on one of the photos of Mardi Gras Indians I took many yeas ago. Rudy turned it into something incredible!
RIP Rudy- you were a wonderful dear friend and mentor to us and so many other artists. I love you and hope you are blissful in your next life.

Tales of the (Eco) Toddy Tonight at the W Hotel

2009-12-10T09:38:00.003-06:00

Come see us tonight yall at Tales of the ECO Toddy at the W hotel. It might be the best night of the holiday shopping week if you have seen the rain forecast (groan). The W is on Poydras @ Tchoupitoulas. We're going to have those ever so popular Fleur Debris and lots of great green goods.

Tales of the (eco) Toddy
4:30 until
W Hotel
New Orleans

Holiday Market Season down by de BAYOU

2009-12-07T14:46:00.005-06:00

We've just got a couple of weeks to go with the busy holiday season of wonderful markets and festivals in New Orleans. This week we have an event at the W Hotel, which is sold out(I hear it may be because of some fabulous eco friendly movie stars who may be in town but that is just gossip). It's called tales of the Toddy- all about drinking hot toddies from fabulous New Orleans restaurants and shopping with eco friendly vendors. That is this Thursday, December 10 on Poydras.

Next we are doing both the Freret-stivus celebration and the Treme Creole Gumbo Festival featuring Kermit Ruffins and Gumbo purveyors. The Freret event is on Saturday and the Gumbo Fiesta is on Saturday and Sunday. Trying to get lots of stuff made for both.

And that is just this week. Next week I have more events, and, a Crazy Quilt workshop at the library, and, I'm in meetings this week about costume design for an indie film.Cross your fingers, it would be a wonderful nightcap on this most abundant year!

peace & beignets!
kerry

2009-12-01T22:22:00.004-06:00

Well I'm kinda sad we've decided not to apply to Jazz Fest this year. We've two big shows in the spring and spitting out art like a factory is draining. Still, last year was thrilling, fun & lucrative so its bittersweet. It's also sad the crowds wont see Heather's fabulous work.

Also, as I was just sifting through pictures, I just didnt feel inspired or anything, just kinda ho hum, well this is nice. Heather's work makes me feel more energized right now. Another thing was just that so many artists have said to us "I should have applied." One of our mentors told us you will get in when you are ready and its true. You will artists just starting out. We're going on year 10 of making and selling our creations. Sometimes you just need to take a break and enjoy life a little bit more. Last spring there was just little enjoyment and mostly insane work and havoc.

You can still catch works like these brilliant Crescent City works at Magazine Metals, 2401 Magazine Street. Also, she's going to be a Freret Market this Saturday (Freret @ Napolean) and Bacchanal on Sunday (Chartres @ Poland).

you can also look her up on the B-Native website and Etsy along with her synthasite, just google "NOLASALVAGE"

Happy Tuesday!

Holiday Season and Etsy Holiday Sale

2009-11-29T07:04:00.003-06:00

Picture 11,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

Good Morning Salvagistas

Our tree has arrived and the house is full of the scent of Douglas Fir.There is so much to be thankful for and so much in store for the new year. We've been in the studio with the elvettes cranking out rusty,lacy,glittery and ruffley confections for the holidays. Hope you will stop by our etsy shop to see what's on tap or visit our little nook on what has been called the greatest shopping street in the country:
Foundry Square, 4310 Magazine Street, New Orleans. We've also been spotted at outposts of cool in the San Antonio Area and just sent a huge order of Storyville Clothing to a shop in Austin. We love Texas and have been invited back to Round Top for Spring and will be in San Francisco in February. More details to follow.

Peace & beignets,
Kerry / BayouSalvage

winter wonderland 2

2009-11-23T06:24:00.003-06:00

winter wonderland 2,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

It's holiday time and the markets are heating up. We had a great time at the Poboy Festival yesterday- lots of people out and the weather stayed calm. We'll be doing a few different events coming up:
Freret Market Dec. 5
Bacchanal Holiday Market Dec. 6
Eco Toddy Dec. 10
Frestivus Dec. 12
Treme Creole Gumbo Festival Dec. 12&13
Elysian Fleas Dec. 19 & maybe Bywater. stay tuned for more details to come.

I'll have more of my french market bags, ruffle totes & laptop bags plus more bayousalvage art to wear and salvage ART!

You can always check out my spot at 4310 Magazine, Foundry Square for more goodies + vintage. I'm selling out of my cut velvet items very quickly.

See Yall There

southern gothic plaid wool neck cuff

2009-11-14T13:06:00.001-06:00

southern gothic plaid wool neck cuff,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

There is a bit of chill in the air so have been trying to make things with my stash of vintage Pendleton wool fabrics and kilts and my salvage pile of fabrics. I love how these feel around the neck. Are they right for NOLA? It is supposed to get down to 40 tonight. BRRRRR. I'll have these at the PoBoy festival, the Handmade Nation event at the Big Top this coming Wednesday Night and at Elysian Fleas on Saturday. Stay Warm yall!

Bayou Salvage now @ Foundry Square 4310 Magazine Street!

2009-11-11T20:59:00.001-06:00

DSC03544,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

So excited that you can now shop to your hearts content at my new spot at Foundry Square, 4310 Magazine Street, Tuesday through Saturday. Nestled in between Nirvana & Cassamento's (best kept secret in town), you can while away the hours checking out local art and trying on my salvage art to wear in person. Velvet and tapestry coats are going fast and new items are added weekly to the mix to keep it fresh. When you are done, just head over to Ms Mae's for a cocktail or keep shopping amongst New Orleans' fabulous antiques and vintage clothing district.

French Market Ruffle Tote

2009-11-03T13:20:00.001-06:00

DSC03417,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

Really excited to be offering these new ruffle totes made of recycled vintage wool and lined in organic cotton twill for the holidays.I just sold my first one in my ETSy shop. May there be many more to follow.
Also available in custom colors, just contact me for the info.

www.bayousalvage.etsy.com
www.bayousalvage.com

Blog Action Day New Orleans Goodwill Opens New Superstore After Katrina

2009-10-14T17:20:00.003-06:00

Blog Action day is tomorrow and the focus is the environment. When I started this blog a few years back it was amazing how many people in the New Orleans and surrounding areas would visit the site to get information about thrift shops, hours and locations.

It is wonderful then today to announce that Mid City now has a fabulous replacement for the old Thrift City. Goodwill has opened in the old Albertsons, which was the old Kmart which was the old whatever and so on and so on. 3400 Tulane Avenue. They had at least 200 people there shopping today.

You can save over 300,000 gallons of water by purchasing one used or recycled textile garment, as opposed to buying a new one. In addition you are providing jobs and training for many folks who need them. Shop at your local thrift store today. You can make the world a much better place!

http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/10/goodwill_opens_new_mid-city_st.html

Falling for Fall

2009-10-14T06:12:00.002-06:00

We're just getting back into the swing of things and so excited to announce that we have a space on Magazine Street - 4310 Magazine, #30. The shop is called Foundry Square. Opening day is November 1, All Saints Day. We'll also be hitting Elysian Fleas, weather providing, this weekend on Sunday during the Saints game. See yall there!

Hi there Howdy and Hey Yall

2009-09-26T12:20:00.003-06:00

YeeHaw. So happy to be sending reinforcements today down to Roundtop,Texas for the big Marburger Antique Show they have going on down there.

We've been stitching,pinning,draping and SHIPPING our little hearts away down by de rusty bayou. So hoping people love our stuff. And it is truly exciting to see how it translates off line and out of town.

It looks like everyone is buying lace, lace and more lace this year, probably before the world runs out of doilies.

It may be hard to believe, but there was a legitimate doily shortage here at the Salvages and we had to make-do.

Once the doilies ran out, it was time to get these scarves finished anyway as they've been sold out for a while and the orders for them were backing up on Etsy. Now I have about 20 or so. Yay!

So dont forget, if you are in Texas, head over to Hillcrest Inn, the side porch to check out the rustmobile and get you some bayousalvage in person!

HILLCREST INN
4339 S STATE HWY 237
ROUND TOP TEXAS

See yall there!

http://winnieandtululas.blogspot.com/

Getting Ready for Round Top Texas, Antique Show Here We Come

2009-09-05T05:10:00.004-06:00

Its getting a little crazy here in salvage land. Once again we have the rustle of tafetta in the breeze,scraps of lace to and fro and the whir of the cast iron 1930s Singer. We're getting ready for Marburger, the grandaddy of Southern Antique Fairs and bayousalvage will be there!

Just like Jazz fest, doing this event is a dream come true. It wouldnt have been possible if we hadnt had an online shop on ETSY! for reals. Hallelujah!

We're going to be in front of Hillcrest Inn, at the Reborn Rubbish Booth skillfully manned by Donna Fussell, a handmade pioneer from around these parts. She's been selling at the event for years and she has great style and taste for the salvage life.

So dont forget to check us out salvagistas on your way to the Junk Gypsy Prom or as you load your carpetbags to go see Magnolia Pearl.
Follow the rusty, dusty trail and look for the lace!

We'll be there preview weekend until closing at October 3.xoxoxo,the salvages

Where we were

2009-08-27T17:11:00.002-06:00

Came across this old video from almost three years ago and wow it is amazing to se how much progress we've made here since K. So much more left to do,however it is hard to look at this and remember the time that was for us. So much less certain. So much less pets.

http://www.casttv.com/video/916fxs/etsy-studio-tour-rustchic-new-orleans-video

We'll be shooting new video soon and some pics of the changes we've made to the house.

2009-08-23T09:45:00.006-06:00

Howdy Texas Friends & Salvagistas!

Lone star lovers and salvagistas: we're now getting ready to show our stuff at Round Top/Marburger it seems. A big yeehaw and howdy to you all. To see their website go to http://www.roundtop-marburger.com/Check back for more details, xoxoxo, the salvages

Great giveaway

2009-07-31T10:44:00.001-06:00

http://catherineslife20.wordpress.com/2009/07/28/giveaway/#comment-52

the juliarose etsy shop is hosting a great giveaway with salvaged buttons. go check it out salvagistas!

Thrifting South of the Border Nogales Arizona el thrifto!

2009-07-24T08:47:00.007-06:00

On our venture to the rusty dusty south, we headed south of the border. On the way we stopped by- what else- this fabulous thrift store in Nogales, salvagistas.

It was a fabulous Salvation Army. Heather loaded up on rusty junk jewelry for her creations and I came away with fantastic vintage sunglasses and a wagon full of vintage slips- quite a few that had their original 50 year old tag on them. Oh and the guabara shirts or however you spell them. Heather got a really elaborate one but they had plenty more. In various stages of fabulous or not so much. Everything was a dollar or less that we purchased. Thankfully these items were lightweight and easy to pack into the bayoumobile. We've heard the store has since closed & hopefully will be back to check soon. The plaza is a great place to visit anyway due to its wonderful grocery store- we got great churros & horchata. Lots of mexican decor, paper products, etc.etc. Unless you drive over to Mexico, this stop is on your way to the checkpoint, so check it out salvagistas.

P.S. It had a ton of those cute Mexican embroidered dresses. I'm not allowed to buy them anymore due to an overflowing bin here at the salvage pile, but if you like those cute dresses, go here!

Salvation Army Thrift Stores in Nogales, Arizona

Name: Salvation Army the, Thrift Stores
Street: 490 North Grand Court Plaza
Nogales, AZ 85621-2748
Phone: (520) 287-7965

Junking in the Country !

2009-07-20T21:40:00.006-06:00

We had a great time hitting a few junk spots on our way to visit Rue Roux out in the country this weekend.

After hitting the Covington Goodwill (review to follow later this week), we came upon Miss Loretta's. And she was ready to sell!

Obviously, we salvagistas share something in common with Loretta.

She cant seem to let her collections of junk go. We asked: did you have a lamp store, a frame store, a junk store? No, no , no she answered, offering us buckets of lamps for incredible prices.

we settled on a great old rusty truck, a rug, some shutters, and of course the wonderful feedsack quilt for $2!!!!!!

I love summer down by the bayou- such great junking, so little time. So if you come on down, hit the yard sales in the Covington area. You wont be disappointed!

Thrifting in Tucson Part 2 St. Vincent dePaul

2009-07-18T09:10:00.003-06:00

Thrifting in Tucson a deux. Tucson thrifting was so much fun we had to hit some stores twice. St Vincent de Paul on 6th was an unplanned yet enjoyable experience we happened upon after grabbing a cup of fair trade and an enormous chocolate chip cookie before heading out of town.

Dont let the unassuming facade fool you, this shop is crammed to the gills with vintage finds and great rusty salvage bits.

While wishing we had a truck to haul away all of the mid century furniture you could shake a stick at, we found piles of vintage doilies,linen linens, tablecloths,(all travel friendly in our car) and some sweet dishes (like we need more).

I wasnt able to get good pictures of the back of this facility- it is full of salvaged and rusty metal and other items left out in the elements- most of it free or One dollar.Remarkable and breathtakingly good value, this store is a good 3 trucks. Cant wait to get back there again!

St Vincent de Paul Thrift Stores

820 S 6th Ave
Tucson, AZ 85701
520-622-2822

Thrifting in Tucson - the Motherlode- Value Village at 4th and 8th

2009-07-11T10:18:00.000-06:00

Hola Amigos.
On our last tour of thrifting the Southwest- We checked out one of my favorite haunts: Value Village on 4th in Tucson. I first visited this Mecca of thrifting 15 years ago and subsequent jaunts did not disappoint over the years. Be prepared to ship your items home from Tucson because they wont fit in your CAR.

I've said it before folks and it bears repeating: anywhere that people go to retire is where you want to be for thrifting. Snowbird locales such as Phoenix, Tucson, Palm Springs, Florida, prepare to bring an empty truck to haul away the fabulous stuff. Tucson's fantastic university district has great coffee, world famous tattoo parlors and Thrifting. Dont miss the Value Village on the corner of 4th and 8th. I cant wait to return again in winter.

Halfy's Thrift Boutique Promoting Thrifting and Animals in the Kansas City Area

2009-07-06T09:53:00.005-06:00

Last Summer I thrifted through the midwest and one place I hit was Halfy's in the Overland Park, Kansas area.
Greeted by their erstwhile mascot, this sweet, blind, and deaf lovey guided me to bargains and fall in love with Halfy's. Check it out if you are in the Kansas City area and looking for a good thrift store. Mission Road is a thrift haven.Halfy's takes the thrift mission one step further: ALL PROCEEDS BENEFIT ANIMAL WELLNESS!!!

Halfy's Thrift Boutique
5917 Johnson Dr
Mission, KS 66202
(913) 677-9086

One truck for picking out great business clothes, silver, collectibles & promoting animal health and wellness!

Gardening & Gratitude

2009-07-05T11:22:00.002-06:00

We spent the better part of this morning cleaning out the yard, weed whacking and throwing junk out. It feels so good to have a clean yard. Spent two days at the coast and am dying to report on some of the shopping we did- Hudson's Treasure Hunt and then all of the new thrift stores open in the area. We also saw some great flea market items. We are going to go back next week and take pictures for yall. Look this week for me to post thrifting south of the border.

We're Almost There Yall

2009-07-02T18:33:00.003-06:00

What a crazy week- trying to get everything in order for fall and also plan some down time for the 4th.This photo is such an inspiration to keep on going.The last old General Store I hit was Schwabs in Memphis circa 20 years ago. I hear they are making a comeback though.

Hope everyone has a great fourth. Hoping to post good news next week...

So Much New Stuff in the Works!!!

2009-06-28T08:30:00.002-06:00

Now that the studio is up, some shipments have arrived, and the rain has come back (thankfully), we've been spending muchos hours in the lab perfecting a mighty bounty of new and interesting bayou concoctions. A hint: cypress trees,absinthe & satsumas.With a dash of leather and a rusty bit thrown in for good measure.HMMMM.
See yall soon!

Getting Ready for FALL

2009-06-26T10:10:00.002-06:00

Yes folks, instead of focusing on the 100 degree heat down by de bayou, we are getting ready for fall. We've turned a spare room into an open and airy (airy conditioned as well) studio and our projects for the fall season are stacked up one by one. Just like farmers working the crops, we are working the debris and salvage, ruminating on inspirations and taking lots of naps. Lots and lots of naps. I love this image culled from the website of the "graphics fairy." It reminds me of my stacks of vintage shoes just wAiting for FALL WEATHER: tights, layers and layers of ruffles.
Dreaming of fall down by de bayou,xoxoxo

2009-06-23T07:13:00.002-06:00

It's another scorcher down here today folks. I think I might wear one of these linen shifts today to work with leggings.We've been experiencing unusually warm and dry conditions. Less hair frizz but more brain frying. It gets so hot outside it is hard to think.
Hope yall are staying cool down de bayou and elsewhere today!

Solstice...Blooming Bloomers...Design for all...from down de bayou

2009-06-20T11:36:00.006-06:00

Hola Chers. So much has been going on down de bayou, the spring was a total and complete blur. From Mardi Gras to Jazz Fest and then Bayou Boogaloo, we've hardly had time to breathe. Well now it is time to stop and smell the magnolias.

I always use summer as a time to plot new designs and see where this process takes on new life. The Bloomer experiment has been such a success, it was only time to try and grow other turn of the century inspired creations such as this lingerie top.

Another aspect has been plus sized designs. I never imagined there would be such a calling for these (hello- should be obvious to me, but no), so according to customer wishes I have some new sweet ruffled shift dresses and longer pants with ruffles. We'll see how they do.

Other than that, I've been trying to stop acquiring and simplify our nest by culling out projects. I used a large cache of vintage tablecloths and ribbons my mother bought me in Paris to make these sweet coin purses. They were really popular at our fashion show the other night. Who doesnt need one of these sweeties to keep their purse organized? ( I use one for receipts and one for cards,cash and checquebook in my bag).

So far its been a lovely shabby spring, full of renewal and reflection and HOPE. Let's hope this summer is equally as fruitful.
xoxoxo,k

2009-05-09T07:54:00.002-06:00

Here we are getting ready for our Lucky Magazine Shoot! Will it make the mag? What a nail bitter!

Jazz Fest was such a great experience. We met tons of new people and shared the BayouSalvage love from land to land.
We met folks from Chile, New Zealand,Japan, France, Montreal/Quebec, Argentina, and tons from California,Seattle & New York.

We got lots of praise on our booth, and Heather got Fleur Debris orders! YAY. All in all wonderful. Next week we hit the beach and then back to This Salvage Life, repairing our studio and making stuff from JUNK.xoxoxo see yall later,K

Where we've been...

2009-04-10T03:19:00.006-06:00

It's been a crazy few months and the Salvages truly appreciate the emails about where we've been. Our family and extended family has been hit by the truly awful can$#r but we are going strong and we know 2009 is going to be a stronger (and healthier ) year because of it. While we eat our brown rice, chased by a dose of colorful vegetables we are preparing for JAZZ FESTIVAL. The holy grail for crafters.We're two machines down, and a stuck tension bar away from nirvana. Enjoy us in our glory-rusty,lacy,beruffled and bewildered as we navigate the brave new world April 30 - May 3 at the New Orleans Fairgrounds along with Neil Young, Patty Griffin, Tony Bennett and so many fabulous local artists you'll swear you've died and gone to the second line.
xoxoxoxo
Salvages

p.s. check us out soon for details and tips about thrifting in Tucson & South of the Border chers~

taking stock of yet another holiday season down on de bayou

2008-11-24T21:57:00.003-06:00

Its been a crazy week down on de bayou chers. We are surviving and looking forward to a successful holiday season- next year will be year 10! yes 10! in creative produ$tion down on de bayou, both Heather & I. I've been looking for something new to do besides my little shotgun houses which are going into year 7 and have come up with these little sewn goodies.So many leather and fabric scraps to use up and recreate. Let me know what you think...

Gretna Glass and Antiques Show

2008-11-17T07:24:00.004-06:00

We were alerted by a savvy customer of ours that there was a glass and antiques show in Gretna this weekend. It was such a windy,blustery weekend that maybe all of their signage had been blown away? At any rate we headed down to check out what they had.

This lady was at the first booth on the end. She had on a great faux leopard coat. She also had tons of lace along with this wonderful sewing box.

She wasnt the only vendor who had lace. Piles everywhere- heaped on tables chairs, in vintage hampers and in items like this:

A wonderful hutch. We have enough hutches and such but this one was so cute it looked like it needed a good home (and someone to stop scraping the wonderful chippy finish off ...grrrr).

We stayed until we had spent our budget and it was time for lunch. Next time we'll get the news in advance so we can spread the word about the show.

City Thrift - Tupelo's latest & greatest new thrift store

2008-11-13T07:30:00.004-06:00

I've written about this shop several times and just cannot get enough of it. City Thrift opened in the Fall of 2007 to much acclaim in the Tupelo area. They have a few smaller stores but nothing like this which is more akin to a Value Village,Red White & Blue or a DAV in larger metropolitan areas. Fortunately, it s not far from the homestead so when we are there, it's time for City Thrift & this last visit was just as great as ever. We only had about 30 minutes, so we breezed in and spotted this rack of leather coats, all going for at least half off. I'm almost ashamed to admit that I was glad we had an SUV to drive away in.
We purchased enough vintage leather to outfit the cast of Saturday Night Fever and the Godfather combined.We also found some good silverplate for Mom (shh dont tell) and an array of vintage books. What is also great about this store is that they take donations. We had a nice load of fabric from my great grandmother's house that you couldnt use in a year of sundays. It was a great respite from family related stress.If you are in the Tupelo area you should not miss out on CITY THRIFT.They have 50cent Sundays too!

City Thrift
2605 W Main St
Tupelo, MS 38801
(662) 620-8190

City Thrift earns 3 trucks for great deals, vast selection & flexible hours

Salvation Army in Tupelo Mississippi

2008-11-07T08:03:00.003-06:00

It was cool to check out the Salvation Army training center in downtown Tupelo, as I've been trying to catch it open for the past couple of years. They keep very limited hours and so getting in there builds the anticipation. Especially when you see on the board that everything is $1. At least all of the clothing.

Then you get inside. The clothes are pretty awful there. This is a sorting center so everything that really isnt sellable is on the floor. You will be greeted with rack after rack of sad clothing, really best suited for rag rugs or cleaning up spills. Completely not worth $1. Your best bet is to go upstairs and check out the furniture.

They had some cute vintage cabinets, vintage office chairs, old luggage, and quite a bit of old books and records perfect for collage. Otherwise drive right on by.

This store gets NO TRUCKS.Maybe a shovel is needed?
Salvation Army
527 Carnation St
Tupelo, MS 38804
(662) 842-9222‎
salvationarmy.org

Fall for Thrifting in Tupelo Mississippi

2008-11-04T07:22:00.004-06:00

Went home to visit some family members recently and we had a little time to kill over in Tupelo.I visited three stores: Sanctuary Village Shoppe,Salvation Army and City Thrift.

It was a little dark inside for photos, but the Sanctuary Shoppe was surprisingly full of good deals including junk jewelry and old wedding dresses. There were two cute old cabinets as well but not quite affordable.

The good thing about these church shops is that they are usually even more affordable than a "chain" thrift store and their items are almost always in perfect condition.This location had furniture in gently used condition, and a wealth of clothes- not necessarily tons of vintage, but good used clothing for work and a few vintage pieces perfect for reworking. Also nice shoes & quality belts.

Sanctuary Village Shoppe
797 S Gloster St, Tupelo, MS 38801-4903
Phone: (662) 680-3834

This shop gets one truck for items in near perfect condition.

2008-11-03T07:03:00.002-06:00

Good morning salvagistas. So excited today to be visiting the new Salvation Army Superstore on Jefferson Highway this afternoon. It has just reopened back up after Katrina as a store. For the past few years it has been used as a center to assist people with getting their lives back together after the storm. It's a strange feeling because we visited the store just a few days before katrina and have been totally missing it.

Moreover, we have a new GOODWILL SUPERSTORE that will be opening up on Tulane Avenue @ Jefferson Davis. Perhaps this will fill the aching hole left by the loss of Thrift City USA, possibly the best thrift store ever that was on Carrollton & Tulane.

Last, I am so excited about our planned Christmas trip to Arizona. We will take the southern route, hopefully dipping back down into hill country. If you have any good shops or areas to visit let me know!

DSC01244

2008-10-30T07:11:00.001-06:00

DSC01244,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

Good morning. We're getting ready for Harvest the Music tonight at Lafayette Square. A portion of the proceeds go to assist the 2nd Harvesters Food Bank.

Its been a great run so far, with five Thursdays in October, and near perfect weather except for last week.

If you are in New Orleans for Halloween, come on down to Lafayette Park, one block up from Poydras on St. Charles & check out the great free party tonight.

2008-10-28T20:35:00.003-06:00

Ahhh,we can finally relax because Voodoo Experience is ovah! It was such a good time to see several returning vendors and customers and to once again, worship the music!

There were so many cool moments- most of them involving random marching bands and packs of customers rushing for my rack of flowery lacey headbands.

Thanks to everyone who showed up - especially my students- to come say hi.- See yall again next year!

BayouSalvage is Vending at Voodoo Music Experience Artists Village

2008-10-22T07:55:00.002-06:00

Cannot believe the show will start in two days. Our house is a mass of boxes, lace debris piles,hanging clothes and rusty little bits ready to show.

I am going to try selling different kinds of art and seeing how it all works out. The lady just sent out loading instructions and she described herself as a "citizen of planet earth" so seeing as we're on the same page, its gonna be great.

Also, I'm super excited to see REM. it's been at least 15 years.And DEVOTCHKA, one of my new faves. Well just wanted to give an update, more later. See yall at the show!

2008-10-17T07:10:00.003-06:00

I've been so busy trying to get ready for Voodoo Music Experience. Cannot believe it is just week away!

Every year I try to do some new and different things and this time we have two different markets going on the same weekend so I will be simultaneously preparing for the Broad St. Market and Voodoo. Craziness!

Our house is a blur of leather and lace and some new (well really old actually) vintage linen, denim and FLAX from France.

Hope if anyone is at the festival they will stop by and say hey!

Thrifting for Halloween costumes on the West Bank of New Orleans

2008-10-05T19:53:00.005-06:00

It's that time again! Yes, time to masque and what better way to spend a lazy Sunday than to thrift for that costume on the West bank......

Goodwill on Behrman Highway had a truckload of hats and ballgowns. The gowns were pretty spectacular but the prices were also really high. We recommend sticking to the combing the racks for unusual items that have been overlooked by the clerks. This shop is really a hit or miss event, requiring a constant presence there for quality finds. Your best bet there would be vintage children's clothes or shelling out for the sparkly gowns. Sometimes it's worth it.
Next we ventured over to unincorporated Jefferson Parish (home of the best Latin food in town) and Terry Parkway to find Thrift City. It was magic....

Thrift City was fully prepared for a haunting, with rack after rack of vintage mardi gras costumes, and the usual recycled kids costumes from Target and such.

You cant tell from the pics, but we found a rack of vintage satin gauchos with exquisite detail- rick rack ,pom poms, the whole shebang.All were priced under $5.00- you've got to check out what Thrift City has for Halloween.
Thrift City USA
601 Terry Pkwy, Ste 18, Gretna, LA 70056
Phone: (504) 363-0006
Open Sundays, just like the good old days...

Fall for BayouSalvage

2008-10-02T15:57:00.006-06:00

To every season-there is a time to make.... a time to sell!
this seems like our season of juggling both and just in time, the Green Project had a huge clean up effort with lots of great salvageable goods available at low low prices.

These chippy doorknobs added inexpensive shabby chic to my latest display. Some will go on the mantle too.

These old walnut cabinets are going to make a great storage spot in our studio.

I am unable to resist windows like this. I am thinking about covering a small wooden bookcase we have with these to make it look more like an heirloom furniture piece.

The Green Projecton Press X Marais is just full of great stuff to get your creative juices flowing.
************************************************************

It was also great to have this write up in the Gambit Weekly on Tuesday. Thanks so much Kara and Sarah!

Working on our booth for Festival Season

2008-09-21T13:35:00.004-06:00

We've been working on our booth shots for festival season. Our neighbors must think we are crazy as we have a full on art market going on in the driveway. Plus, the cats keep thinking hey there's a party but then they realize uh no it's just another place to get swatted away from.It's been the first clear, non evacuation,non weather event in 6 week ends. Yes um deedy.
So, we'll be at.....
ByWater Art Market every third Saturday
Broad Street Market every fourth Saturday
Freret Market every first Saturday
Lafayette Square every Thursday through October and Harrison Avenue Marketplace every second Wednesday

and that doesnt include festivals...

You can also check us out locally

MAGAZINE METALS 2401 MAGAZINE GARDEN DISTRICT
LOST & FOUND 323 CHARTRES FRENCH QUARTER
BOTANICAL GARDENS SHOP CITY PARK

peace & beignets,
kerry

we have a new site in progress: www.bayousalvage.com

Making the most of your evacu-cation, bayou style

2008-09-07T09:51:00.011-06:00

It's hard to even describe the feeling that you have to pack your whole life up into your car (including your pets)and then head out,perhaps never to return again. I never felt that way before until about three years ago. Now the sense of dread permeates the weeks before and after these weather events. That's why your time is best spent engaging in a little flea market therapy

The Highway 21 Flea Market in Angie, Louisiana is the perfect pit stop on your evacuation route. Located a block from the Hickory Pit barbeque, this joint is a great respite from Hurricane woes. The 21 has the usual selection of flea market goods- affordably priced! The vintage corning ware was in great shape and 2 or 3 dollars a piece.

We stocked up on handmade cypress furniture, finding a bookcase and a great rustic table that matches our salvage aesthetic. The worn cypress, hand milled, is incredible to the touch and eyes. And it wont set you back to much dough either.

WOW

Last but not least, the place was full of horse gear, seeing as we were in equestrian country it seemed just right. Good used saddles and bridles at really reasonable prices.

The salvages would rate Hwy 21 Flea Market in Angie a 3 truck event for the affordable handmade cypress furniture, household goods & tchotchke factor. Forget the clothing,books and dollar store junk. See ya there next time!

Evacuation Tips for Artists (and crafters) Part 2 the Gustav edition

2008-08-27T13:35:00.004-06:00

Whenever we get alerted to something "brewing in the gulf" I tend to get a little antsy. Rollo May, creativity philosopher extraordinare calls this feeling the physical call to action for the artist.He says anxiety is the body's response to do something. I've put together these tips for my fellow artistas who live in areas that may be evacuated so you can do something with the antsy feeling and better prepare yourself should the worst thing happen.

1. What to evacuate with first: pets, people, & papers. The first two need no explanation I hope. The important paperwork you are going to need will be your tax documents from the past three years, your sales records,and insurance, birth certificate, passport. S.B.A. and CERF (Crafters Emergency Relief Fund) require documentation of your livelihood that comes from your art work. Without documentation they simply cannot help you. Also, even if you do not own your own home, you need to have reneters insurance if only to cover all the funds you've out into tools and supplies. Most renter's insurance policies are about $50 a month at the most expensive rates.

2. You need to decide what small supplies/tools you can take along with you to fill the anxious hours (which can turn into days, weeks,) while you wait to see what has happened to your home.Trust me, you will need something small to do to keep yourself occupied. Hopefully you wont need it.I recommend knitting or crotcheting or needlework like sewing leather for the car or hotel.

3. Take along any items you have listed on etsy or take your recent sales and mail them from your evacuation place, not your evacuation city. We lost millions and millions of bits of mail here in Katrina.

4. What you cant take, document. We have been taking photographs of all of our art work and collections and have been posting them to private files on flicker just in case of another freak storm. Insurance cannot pay you the full value if you dont have documentation and the best form is a photograph. If you have receipts those need to be taken with you as well.You cant take everything with you, obviously, so just take a picture and post them to a free shareware site so you know they are safe. You can also back this up by emailing some pics to yourself.

5. Take your most precious big tool or two if you can fit them in the car. We had to sneak back into the city to get our tools of the trade so we could work (under the cities' mandatory evacuation policy we could just look and grab stuff and then had to go). We werent sure about our jobs or employment and needed to make sure we could make money elsewhere. I ended up opening a shop in an antique mall selling my repurposed wares and Heather took carpentry jobs in the area. This also kept us less stressed out as we had something else to focus on. plus we ended up doing pretty well (it didnt hurt that Lucky magazine featured our antique mall just a short time later).

6. Get a copy of your fellow artists' emails and contact numbers just in case. After Katrina we had a few networks of our fellow crafters to comiserate with and hear about art opportunties elsewhere. This helped us feel like we could pick up and move some place if we had to and still have our creative lives somewhat intact.

I hope you never have to use these tips, but just in case, you'll feel less anxious.... One last tip- a certain source, we'll call her deep thrift, has recommended viewing www.weatherunderground.com as a source that civilian governments use to make decisions about evacuations and potential weather events. Be informed about your area in advance so you can make the best decisions for you, your family and your art business.

Kansas City Salvation Army Family Stores

2008-08-23T14:00:00.008-06:00

It was with great glee when I came across this the Salvation Army Family Store in the Kansas City Area.
First of all they were having a half price sale at night. AT NIGHT. who does that any more, you know, makes it easy for working folks to thrift? Well I went inside and fell in love right away and that's just how it easy it was.
This store continues to make the shopping worth its while for her customers. The racks are double stacked, so they can fit the maximum amount of fashions in.

As I glanced around the premises before zeroing in for the kill there was an ***urban hipster alert*** The urban hipster is a breed that lets you know there is probably some choice loot to be had. This guy checked out next to me with a mile high stack of vinyl- Pavement, Led Zeppelin and the like. He kept looking over his shoulder the whole time we were there. He was the only hipster I saw- the disheveled Vans were a sure giveaway- so just had to document. He got at least 30 albums for 11 bucks s maybe he was just nervous due to his getting over!

At any rate, this lovely suitcase was in perfect condition and exactly what was on my list.

This lovely checkout lady couldn't find a price tag and had the manager give me a good price.

it was a wonderful time- the store was packed full of great stuff. Definitely a THREE truck shop!
6219 Johnson Dr
Mission, KS 66202
(913) 384-3321

Shawnee Goodwill In Kansas City Area- bring two trucks!

2008-08-03T13:44:00.006-06:00

Upon approach, the Goodwill at Shawnee was very promising. Perhaps it was the mid century modern table and chairs with Goodwill Blue matching tabletop that drew me in. Whatever it was, it worked. As you come in the door, the store has checkout(s!) to the left and furniture and to the right, a small boutique that has nicer clothes,books and paintings.At first it was a painful flashback tot he Salvation Army on Chef Menteur Highway that flooded(and the wonderful vintage Chanel jacket in perfect condition I found there for 5 dollars), but I digress.
The "boutique" collection wasnt anything to write home about, but what about the wall of leatha? The leather, much of it vintage, in every shape, texture and hue.And it was organized and wonderfully priced. Time to get the truck!
This shop had quite a few vintage items all mixed in with newer, better quality stuff perfect for reconstruction, altering or whatever you could dream up.
This is a two truck store, for the cute vintage furniture and wonderful leatha.

(913) 631-3955....6220 Nieman Rd....Shawnee, KS 66203

Goodwill Thrift Store 8929 Wornall

2008-08-01T16:50:00.006-06:00

After leaving the Goodwill Superstore on 135th, I headed backdown 435 & 69 to Kansas City proper and the thrift store highway known as Wornall, 89th & Wornall are the cross streets.

This brightly lit store is a bit smaller than the others in the area, but had good quality newer clothes, tons of vintage shoes, and quite a bit of soft vintage leather.

It was great to spot this old sewing machine that worked great and was very clean.
Also picked up this great bag for my collection. have a lot of brown,cream and black going on for fall so this will be perfect. This store earns One Truck for vintage leather & accessories but is very picked over in terms of good vintage or art supplies.

Goodwill Thrift Store 8929 Wornall, across from Smokestack Barbeque (sweet sauce + great burnt ends)in Kansas City,MO =

Three Stores in 3 hours: the Goodwill Challenge in Kansas City

2008-07-31T13:25:00.006-06:00

Kansas City and the surrounding area is a cornocopia of thrift stores and yard sale heaven. As we were heading out to the airport this morning, we passed a valiant group setting out their yard sale items tenatively as the rain looked like it might start again.
Bright and early one morning I set out to hit the Goodwill Challenge: 3 stores, three different sides of town, in three hours with thirty dollars. My goals were to find vintage leather, a vintage suitcase to carry my items home and possibly some vintage art materials. I wasnt disappointed.
One striking motif of the Goodwills of the area had to be the prevalence of these solid wood tables.fabulous.
This Goodwill was also jam packed with this new technique of hanging pants with the waist hanging out. It was so nice to shop looking at the waist size. It also enabled them to hang more pants.
Goodwil 16630 135th Avenue,Kansas City Area. A super clean store with friendly staff. This store earns ONE TRUCK.Plan to stock up on tables and cute vintage furniture but leave the rest behind!

Estate Sales Shawnee Mission Kansas

2008-07-29T23:36:00.006-06:00

It was with great glee when we set out to find barbecue and ended up hitting a row of estate sales and yard sales with out of this world deals.

First and foremost, these fantastic vintage sewing machines were a bit rough around the edges but you could tell they had plenty of life left in them.

Next there was a great stack of vintage golden books, perfect for collage with all of their vintage bird imagery.

It was hard to pass up this old woodstove but it wont fit in my suitcase.Also, the old radios- there were lots of them at every sale.

My favorites are always the old rusty receptacles that would look great in the garden with some hens and chicks planted in them.

There were a few consistent items at the many sales we hit:
1. great vintage books
2. south american textiles
3. native american handcrafts
4. hutches & tables

All in all, the finds here were well priced and over abundant. As one reader has suggested, a uhaul may be a good idea.

Thrifting in Kansas City Missouri MAJR THRIFT

2008-07-27T08:04:00.007-06:00

We've been having a wonderful time trawling the streets of Kansas City for good barbeque and good shopping. After stopping by Oklahoma Joe's original outpost of good eatin', we happened upon MajR Thrift just down the way.
In an unassuming corner of one of those strip malls lies the MajR. We were beckoned in by the 30% off all summer merchandise and half off day advertisements.
Unfortunately, the selections there were geared more for those seeking vintage supplies to work with and not for finding good vintage pret a porter.
This is the place to go to though if you are looking for vintage items to embellish or alter or supplies for altered collage creations. There was a good stock of plain vintage hats, vintage chippy toys -both wooden and metal- and as always, good vintage books.
You could also look here for good slips that need a bit of revamp. All in all MajR Thrift is a picked over destination as far as clothing goes, but for supplies, you can beat their cheap prices for vintage materials.
MAJR THRIFT
2844 W. 47th Avenue
(913) 362-5001

Love and the Singer 15-90

2008-07-26T07:39:00.003-06:00

It's only been a week since the Singer 15-90 arrived. I've barely seen the light of day, barreling through two boxes of vintage leather scraps and carting out cut velvets from the attic and the storage facility. Who knew that a machine, pushing 70 years old, could transform the sewing landscape around here?

It only serves to reaffirm my faith to never, ever buy new again. If you are looking for a newer machine that cant sew more than a bit of old muslin,check out the 8 or so I've listed on Craigslist. Will deliver in New Orleans!

Mentoring the next generation of recycled entrepeneurs

2008-07-18T07:41:00.004-06:00

It's taken a semester or two, but finally my former student is ready to create her own recycled business. Anh Khan has been in the US for almost ten years. She and her family reside in New Orleans East which used to be one of the largest Vietnamese communities in the States,pre Katrina. Anh and her sister Anh Dai
are recreating a popular art from their birth country by using discarded materials from their new country. Predominantly my office to be specific about it.They have created so many bowls and vessels that there wasnt enough time to photograph.
They have started a paypal account and are getting ready to open up an etsy shop.Watch out world because they have carted away about a ton of paper already and are clamoring for more!

Junking in the French Quarters Bayou Salvage Style

2008-07-15T10:02:00.003-06:00

Had a great time junking this past weekend on Decatur Street in the French Quarter. After brunching with a friend a Cafe Envie, it was time to strike out and look for deals. These shabby chippy shutters drew me into Bottom of the Barrel Antiques right away. The colors remind me of Italian ice creams.
This rusty shabby pelican was making my heart beat fast. Heather wont let me get any more yard art during grass cutting season. Yet wouldn't this be great perched on the roof?
Then I found this chandelier. Love the spring green color it was painted. This would be great hanging freestyle in the garden or rewired for indoors.
Last but not least, this basket of old bathtub feet. We use these an endcaps for books and actually upturned as business card holders. The rustier the better.

Bottom of the Barrel Antiques
1209 Decatur

Pass Market this Saturday Mississippi Gulf Coast

2008-07-10T21:25:00.002-06:00

I'm so excited to be hauling the BayouMobile over to Pass Christian this Saturday morning for the Pass Market. Located at Memorial Park at Beach Avenue in historic old Pass Christian, the market features local produce,fresh baked goods and a few arts vendors. We'll be there along with our friend Vigo Boom and his Southern fried Blues Art.It runs from 8-11Am and was featured not too long ago in Coastal Living.
Come check us out and enjoy the coast on a hot summery day. See yall there!

Working our wholesale accounts

2008-07-10T06:49:00.002-06:00

When business got slow in may we really threw our efforts into making new stuff and getting into more shops. Well its paying off but getting a bit scary due to the new territory.I have to get some work ready for not one but two museum shops.Whoa. This is totally different at a gut level. My fear is that it isnt good enough or finished enough or just well museumy enough. So we'll see.Its scary good but still scary!

Peacocks in Lacombe

2008-07-09T10:20:00.001-06:00

IMG_2028_1,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

My boss went birding this weekend in Lacombe to the peacock park. She went to collect feathers as the babies were molting. Couldnt get this image out of my mind, so of course it was time to make some peacocks, bayou style. They seem to be popular on Flickr, with 75 hits in 2 days!
*ayeeeee*

Thrift City Super Sale Today

2008-07-03T06:02:00.001-06:00

Today we're out hitting the super sale at Thrift City USA. Today is half off everything but furniture & kitchen items. Thrift City is reopened on the WestBank on Terry parkway inbetween Stumpf and Carol Sue. Take the Terry Parkway exit off the CCC. They take cash, cheks and VISA/MC. You also might want to check the Family Thrift Center nearest you. They often have 1/2 off sales in and around holidays. Family Thrift is located in Kenner and in Marrero.

After summer comes..........fall

2008-07-01T11:27:00.002-06:00

IMG_1905,
originally uploaded by rustchic.

ICannot believe solstice has passed and that the summer school semester is almost bid adieu. Pretty soon it will be crazy time with markets & the holidays & big shows. This is my latest.......working 24/7 recycling our daily menus into Pelicans. What are you doing to prepare for fall?

Dumpster Diving in NOLA

2008-06-26T21:11:00.002-06:00

I love summer. Along with the endless sunshine, afternoon downpours,and frogs singing, everyone is cleaning up and cleaning out.And putting it out. On the street.
This super sweet dresser was just lounging around off Orleans Avenue begging to come home with me.
It wasnt meant to be as we have way too many dressers as it is and heather would kill me.
but not a day goes by that I dont find a great bit of wood (or two) to throw in the back of the car and think about what it will eventually become. Tune in yall for when we are forced to open up a salvage yard.

What I'm not okay with

2008-06-25T16:08:00.006-06:00

Sometimes people take it to far. I was suprised to get this picture in an email yesterday. I was really suprised when I found out it was customer and fellow artist. Then I went to her blog. She says she will sell them everywhere but Etsy out of respect for me. Thanks. Thanks for giving me credit and directing customers to my shop. Thanks for admitting your complete and utter copy, down to my signature sales stands. Is it okay to copy my Etsy shop designs only if you just dont sell them on etsy? I dont think so.This was only my banner, my moo card image, the picture from my ads in the paper and on blogs. You've lost a friend pixie.

Thrifting in Oblivion Austin Texas Syle Part 3 Goodwill and Hill Country

2008-06-21T08:11:00.005-06:00

The outer limits of Austin are a true junking mecca.We came upon this roadside stand and couldnt believe the bargains for rusty metal.
This is how I ended up with a trunk of doilies. How could I pass this up as founder of the doily liberation front?
As we headed out of Austin, we checked out the groovy neighborhoods of East Austin, including the Habitat Restore and happened upon this new school Goodwill.
The place had the best housewares selection so far seen in the area, with a collection of vintage Johnson Brothers interspersed with Southwest and Mexican Pottery.

There was also a great collection of paintings, canvases to be repurposed, and frames.

Thrifting in Central Austin Goodwill and St. Vincent DePaul

2008-06-19T07:42:00.004-06:00

We had a great time visiting the shops on South Congress while waiting for the bats to come out on the first street bridge. Right on South Congress there was a fantastic St. Vincent DePAul and one of the best we've ever been to. The first thing you see when you walk in the door is a rack of secondhand boots that would make cowbies cry (in glee). They were fancy, spiffy and even polished.
We by passed a good looking amount of wedding dresses, some vintage, some not, and headed towards the back to see the craft section. It was big and they had a large assortment of yarns and kits, perfect for our krewedocraft emergency craft kits.
Then we headed upstairs, thinking it would be a small area and it was an impressive, gracious space that had a large amount of vintage and newer furniture. I dont have the room to post the armoirs, 1920s dressers and headboards and a small amount of picked over mid century pieces.

The St. Vincent dePaul on South Congress is a great place to find furniture and affordable craft supplies. The clothes are pricey with the exception of the wedding dresses.

Thrifting in Oblivion Austin Texas Syle

2008-06-15T20:17:00.004-06:00

Hola Compadres! It is wonderful to be back home all relaxed and rested after visiting Austin Texas to check out the city, try out a new evacuation route and see the Indigo Girls once again. It seemed the thrift gods were smiling on us once again as our hotel was across the way from the aptly named TEXAS THRIFT STORE.Boasting a spacious parking lot, generous aisle size, and friendly clerks, this place was one big yee haw from top to botton. The store is right off of I-35 south as you exit from 290 coming from Houston.
This store has some wonderful aspects- students and seniors get a 30% discount on Tuesdays and they have 3 different color tags on sale at a time. They also have a 99cent day once a month for new items.But the best thing about it was the book section!Any one who collects vintage books,ephemera or just likes to read a lot needs to check out this place when in town. The books are also arranged acording to subject matter. Not quite the Dewey Decimal system but it will do. We got a stack of leather bound books perfect for collage and artistic reuse.
Another thing about thrifting in a new town is that you can get your souvenirs a bit more cheaply (and environmentally friendly) while thrifting. they are also often cuter. We got some vintage UT football jerseys and a visor instead of buying them new.How often will we really wear this dusty orange?Not so often to buy something new, that's for sure.
I love the motto posted at this store- never ever buy new again. With stores like these, that options looks more and more enticing.
Texas Thrift Center is located at 5319 N. IH-35. The phone number is 380-0025. According to Michael Blujay, an Austin thrifter, this store "benefits Medina Children's Home."