On the Radar -- Plaid Madness

Country Living, fall 2012

OK, so Country Living strikes again.  We see this picture to the left in one of their fall issues.  We think happy thoughts because we LOVE plaid throws.  Then, over the next few weeks we learn how powerful these magazines can be -- mainly because we sell over half of our stock of blankets in our shop, which for us, is about six.  SIX PLAID BLANKETS in around two weeks.  I would call that a definite trend!

There are many trends that we are fully aware of and we buy for the shop accordingly. And then, there are ones like this.  Trends that just happen and we're already prepared because we buy it anyway. We love plaid anything -- we have our own mini collection of blankets, we're working on a tartan tin collection, and we have a plaid thermos, jug, and cooler collection.  We're both addicted to plaid flannel shirts and wool coats in the fall and winter.  And we sell a lot of Pendleton suits.  So we are, you could say, drinking the plaid Kool-Aid on a regular basis.

Pendleton Blanket, House  Beautiful, Fall 2012

We prefer wool blankets, but we don't pass up pretty acrylic throws.  They are just as stylish, and honestly, are much softer to snuggle up with if you really want to use your blanket.  I mean, cashmere would be ideal, but realistically, who has the money for that?  Certainly not us! 

Brimfield store in Chicago, photo from Velvet and Linen

It's probably no secret that we like multiples, so seeing plaid blankets stacked like this just makes us happy.

Our favorite plaid wool blanket from our collection.

We still have plenty of blankets available in the shop, so take a look!  Here's a sample:

From our shop!

On the Radar -- Pep Rally

Photo from Honeys Treasures on Etsy

I've explained how much we Blackbird girls love our monthly dose of periodicals.  Well, one magazine in particular, Country Living, is both our favorite AND our nemesis.  More on the nemesis part later.  That's a different post entirely.  If you don't read Country Living, you should.  Especially if you're a collector.  Their design aesthetic is not necessarily what you would think of as "country".  It's really more eclectic than that -- mixing mid-century, industrial, cottage, and other styles together all the time.  I think they are at their best when it comes to highlighting collectibles and decorating with collections.  Even better than Martha Stewart.  And that's really saying something, because anyone who knows me, knows that Martha is my homegirl! 

Anyway, this summer, we decided to start buying some school related items for our Etsy shop.  We had already found some yearbooks and some pennants, but on our infamous buying trip to Ohio, we bought some patches to add to the mix.  The pennants and a yearbook sold in our booth at a Vintage Flea, and we've been selling the yearbooks steadily in the shop for the past month.  Well, lo and behold, what's featured in Country Living this month, under the headline, " The Old College Try"?  Yep.  School stuff.  Patches and pennants, yearbooks, and other miscellaneous college collectibles.

1950s Wool Blankets, Country Living, October 2012

If you want to know what the trends are in collecting, just take a look in this magazine.  Seriously.  If it's not a trend before the magazine is published, then just wait -- a few months after something is featured, it's on EVERYONE'S radar.  Working as closely as we do with collectors and their junk, we Blackbird girls start to notice patterns in what people buy.  And when things start flying out of the shop -- we know it's been featured somewhere.  And here in the south, it's usually Country Living.

From Red Line Vintage

From It Is What It Was on Etsy

Whether you are looking for your alma mater or just want to add some school coolness to your decor or wardrobe, there's tons of options when it comes to college memorabilia.  And since we told you that it's hot here at Four and Twenty (well, and you know, it's also in Country Living), it's going to start showing up more and more.

Check out our school junk at our Etsy shop:

From Blackbird Antiques NC on Etsy

From Blackbird Antiques NC