Vintage in my Sketchbook

• I keep a sketchbook that I try to draw in each day. You can see it here. Here are a couple of finds in use at my house and my mom and dad's house. The lamp is an old one I found at a sale. I had a classy ivory silk shade on it but the other day my mom found this great old shade made from green burlap with evergreens painted on it...with fabulous trim around the bottom. I like my home to be classy, but usually I will pick interesting over safe any day....so, off went the plain shade and on when the slightly worn but ever so cool vintage shade. The magazine is Cloth, Paper, Scissors...one of my favorites!

edited 10/19: Someone commented on this photo (posted elsewhere) that I must not have kids. Actually I do and the fact that most of my stuff is thrifted makes it easy to live with. So I thought I'd price out this photo.

• The sofa is 14 years old, and the fabric is starting to look kinda worn on the edges, but it doesn't show much unless you look closely. For years it and 2 chairs in that room were our only seating area...so you can guess that it has seen tons of use. It was $800 dollars on sale when we bought it new. It was a stretch for us back then, but we have found that it is worth it to get as good quality as you can afford.
• The next most expensive thing ($?) is the aquarium!
• birdcage stand holding plant: $17 in junk shop (but Dad bought it for me)
• 2 plants on sale at big box store for $5 each
• ottoman: my newest purchase $20 in resale shop
• carved bench used as end table: this is a carving bench once used by a carver friend of my husband's. When he died his wife gave it to us. One of the best things we own.
• coffee table: is actually an old pallet from an electrical company. I found it at an antique fair (even though I'm sure it does not qualify as an antique) and it had already been sealed and had a glass top. I thought it would be cool, since my husband is an electrician. I paid $150 dollars for it. Seems like a lot but a new real coffee table would have been more and I think this is more interesting anyway!
• Lamp was $20 at an auction
• Shade: Mom bought it for me at a garage sale for $1!
• Pillow: Waverly bought on sale at Hancocks for $12. Actually belongs in another room, but everything moves in this house. Good reason for making colors compatible I suppose!
• Antique picture over the aquarium (of a couple looking over their catch after fishing!) $30 at an antique mall. Just a little joke on the fish...I'm easily amused.
• Child's chair under plant: $5 at garage sale

So you see, even when I have 20 teenagers in that room (quite often!), I don't really have to worry because things are not that expensive....and I want the kids to feel free to come and hang out.