Nils Thorsson at Royal Copenhagen: Columbine Bird and Bottle Vase

Nils Johan Thorvald Thorsson (1898 - 1975) was a ceramic artist at Royal Copenhagen from 1912 until his death in 1975. He became the artistic director at RC in 1949.

Here we have a highly collectible Nils Thorsson bird-shaped posy vase from the "Columbine" series. This black, white and yellow piece was made in 1960:

Nils Thorsson Columbine Bird Vase, available from Pillowsophi on Etsy

And here is a wonderful 1960's Nils Thorsson bottle vase:

Royal Copenhagen Denmark Nils Thorsson Bottle Vase, available from Pillowsophi on Etsy

On the bottom of the vase, you can see the Royal Copenhagen stamp and Nils Thorsson's cypher:

Marks on Nils Thorsson Royal Copenhagen Denmark Vase

I love Thorsson's work; I hope I'll be able to share more of it with you in the future!

GIVEAWAY! Enter to Win a $15 Gift Certificate from Pillowsophi on Etsy!

I'm giving away a $15 CAD Pillowsophi gift certificate!  

The giveaway is running on Facebook until Dec. 9th.  Whoever refers the winner will also receive a $15 gift certificate!

Please CLICK HERE TO ENTER!

Retro Holiday Party

I can't believe it's almost December!  We had our first snowfall last week, so now I'm thinking about the holidays.  Specifically, today I'm thinking about holiday parties... I won't be throwing one this year, but if I did, I'd want it to look something like this:

Dorothy Thorpe Style Lowball Glasses, Available from Pillowsophi on Etsy

Crochet Poinsettia by BobbiLewin on Etsy

Pair of Hans Wegner Danish Modern Chairs, Available from thecircamodern on Etsy

Luminarc Ruby Red Cavalier Glasses, Available from Pillowsophi on Etsy

Vintage Black Party Dress, Available from Conjurers on Etsy

Vintage Christmas Lights, Available from AloofNewWhimsy on Etsy

I'd love to hear about your plans for the holidays!  Will you be throwing or attending any parties?  Do you have a favourite party theme?

*All photographs used in this post are the property of the associated Etsy sellers.*

One of My Favourite Blogs: Scarlet Begonia Vintage!

Hello everyone!  I've been MIA for a month, but now I'm back and I've got a lot of posts in the works.  They're all up here.  (Yes, that sentence is supposed to indicate that I'm sitting alone in front of my computer, tapping myself on the side of the head and winking at the screen.)  If you liked my first Dybdahl post, you're going to love the next one.  And if you liked this post about Denby's "Ode" pattern, I hope you'll enjoy my upcoming post about my favourite Denby pattern, "Studio" (sneak preview: this pitcher).

However, I know most of you are probably looking for something to read right now.  And so, my friends, it is my pleasure to introduce you to  
Scarlet Begonia Vintage.  

Jess of Scarlet Begonia Vintage is currently running a "Tricks or Treats" series, which consists of a number of fantastic guest posts.  Among other things, guest bloggers teach you how to make a fabric pumpkin (I'd use funky vintage fabric!) and decorate your house for Halloween on a budget.

Photo Credit: Lindsay, guest blogger for Scarlet Begonia Vintage

There are so many fabulous posts on Scarlet Begonia Vintage; I don't think I can pick a favourite.  However, I particularly enjoyed this post about a fabulous vintage clothing store in Brooklyn.  I hope you will, too!

P.S.  If you love the blog, can also find Scarlet Begonia Vintage on Etsy!

Melamine Melange

I recently came across a fabulous selection of colourful melamine on Etsy, and I just had to share it with you!  All items are from Down East Attic, which is an excellent Maine-based vintage shop.  
If you know me, you know I love all things East Coast (even though I've never been south of the Canadian border)... so I'm pretty excited about this post!

Down East Attic offers a diverse yet cohesive selection of vintage housewares and collectibles at great prices.  The shop is a pleasure to browse; the photographs are beautiful.  But you don't have to take my word for it... check out these wonderful melamine items!

First up, this fabulous blue and white lidded bowl by Vacron:

These colourful Melamine Ware ramekins are so fun!  I bet these would cheer up even the dimmest, drabbest kitchen.

This is a great turquoise Melmac bowl.  Is it just me, or is turquoise always "in"?

These Allied Chemical cup and saucer sets are wonderfully retro!  I love the dark avocado colour.

Like what you see?  Click here to visit Down East Attic on Etsy!

Want to stay up to date?  Click here to visit Down East Attic on Facebook!

Which of these colours would you most like to see in your kitchen: turquoise, orange, red, or dark avocado green?

Mid Century Modern for $14 or Less: Part II

Without further ado: MCM for $14 or less, part two!

8.  This fabulous bowl is available for just $7 USD from Retro Home on Etsy.

9.  For just $10 USD, these beautiful candlestick holders can be yours!  Available from cwoerl on Etsy.

10.  At $9 USD, this fondue set from The Vintage Ruby is an absolute steal!

11.  This awesome faux bois ceramic pitcher is just $12 USD at Gypsy Mouse!

12.  Looking for something to fill that space on your wall?  How about these wonderful mod wall hangings?  Get the set for $12 USD from msmichiganroux on Etsy.

13. Dansk IHQ green glass candle holders, $12.99 USD from InteriorComponents.  Beautiful!

14. This wonderful candle holder set by Solingen Germany is just $10 USD at luola.

There you have it: 14 lovely mid century items for less than $14 each!   

Missed items 1 through 7?  You can find them here.

What do you think?  Which deal is the best?  Have you ever found a great MCM piece at an amazing price?  Please share your opinions and stories in the comments! 

Mid Century Modern for $14 or Less: Part I

It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of modern design.  However, many genuine mid century items are quite expensive.  If you're a mod-lover on a budget (like myself), this is for you!  In this mini-series of two posts, I will be featuring 14 mid century modern items priced at $14 or less (before shipping).

1.  First, the item that inspired this series: A fantastic set of party spreaders, available for just $5 USD from The Antique and Vintage Wares Adoption Agency on Etsy.

 

2.  Also from The Antique and Vintage Wares Adoption Agency, a beautiful condiment caddy priced at just $12 USD!

3.  From my own shop, a white Arabia Finland pitcher for $12 CAD.

 

4.  This set of three roly poly glasses - also from Pillowsophi Vintage on Etsy - is priced at $14 CAD.

5.  For $12 USD, this set of Lillian Vernon lucite napkin rings (available from ModDom on Etsy) can be yours.

6.  WOW!  This gorgeous wood bowl is available from Myra Melinda on Etsy for just $5 USD!

7.  Looking for retro salt and pepper shakers?  How about this awesome set, available for $5.50 USD from Mad Max Vintage Goods?

That's it for now.  Next time: Items 8-14!

Keeping Things in Scale

I love vintage scales.  I don't quite know what it is about them; I just think they're charming. Maybe it's the mix of beauty and function I find so alluring.   They're so versatile... you can use them in the kitchen, you can weigh packages on them, or they can serve as beautiful candle holders, picture frames or metaphorically-charged (or not) art objects.

Here are a few of my favourites...

I love this retro brown Soehnle scale...but sadly it doesn't work.

This Park Sherman office scale is from ModDom on Etsy:

This fabulous old postal scale belongs to stellabystar on Etsy.  It still accurately weighs packages of up to 50lbs!

Scale as picture frame; brilliant!  This one's from SugarCubeVintage on Etsy:

Here, the Pelouze Portion Controller from Allie Et Cie on Etsy:

And now... Scales and Apples!

This Pelouze postal scale is from Nells Vintage House on Etsy:

This charming American Family scale is from GlassnMore on Etsy:

This fantastic Forschner hanging scale is from VintageRetrievers on Etsy:

This amazing set of antique scales is from Bird In Hand on Etsy:

And, last but not least, I love the look of this Hanson kitchen scale, also from Bird In Hand on Etsy:

So, dear readers... which is your favourite?

These Boots Were Made For Rockin' (Alternate Title: Marie is a Dork)

Last Friday I was at my favourite Goodwill looking for half price day bargains when I saw these CRAZY COWBOY BOOTS.  At first I passed them by, thinking there was no way I'd be able to get them on my giant (women's size 10.5-11) feet.  Besides, I'm a vegetarian and I haven't worn leather in years.  But then I looked back at them and realized they actually looked relatively large, and I thought, "Well, vintage leather doesn't require (further) animal suffering and is eco-friendly...".  So I went back.  Turns out they were a men's 8, and they fit (albeit rather snugly)!  Without hesitating, I snatched those puppies up and bought 'em (for a whole $8.99, since - much to my disappointment - they were excluded from the sale).

The thing is, these boots are so darn AWESOME that I can't even tell if they're nice or not; I'm blinded by their awesomeness.  For all I know, they're absolutely hideous.

(I'm also not sure if I'll be able to get used to the idea of wearing cow skin on my feet, but that's an issue for another time.)

So, dear readers, my questions for you are:


1.  Do you like these boots?  Please vote in the poll, and feel free to elaborate in a comment!


2.  If you don't think the boots should never be worn, what do you think they should be worn with?

 

Awesome details:

 

Check out the gorgeous metalwork:

And the (very worn) bottom of one boot, so you can see the logo:

Love 'em? Hate 'em? I'd love to hear your opinion! Please be honest... I won't be offended. After all, I didn't make them (and I'm still undecided, myself).

What do you think of my Sandiego cowboy boots?

Vintage Cottage, Part III: More Mid Century Modern Treasures!

And now, I present to you the third and final installment of the "Vintage Cottage" miniseries.  Without further ado, here are the featured items...

There are two of these fabulous mid century modern chairs at Grandma's cottage:

My Grandpa brought this (dusty - sorry!) wooden hippo back from one of his trips to South Africa (where he traveled when he worked for Inco, as they had mines there):

Next up, this retro set of aqua salt and pepper shakers:

And finally, two unidentified mod striped vases:

We've now reached the end of the "Vintage Cottage" miniseries!  Missed the beginning/middle?  Click here for Part I and Part II!  Thanks for reading!

Do you visit a cottage full of vintage treasures?  I'd love to hear about your favourites!