Junk Love: Italian Holiday

This post is for three reasons: we really love brightly colored mid-century junk, we really love Italy, and Roman Holiday was on this weekend. Do we need more justification than that? No!

So here is a dream collection of items pulled from Etsy to brighten up an already dull week and soothe the urgent need to clear out my savings and hop on a plane for Mediterranean gorgeousness. Enjoy--mid-century Italian junk love!

Baldelli Elephant Bank; Here

Ceramic canisters; Here

Stilnovo-style wall lights; Here

Fratelli Fanciullacci pottery pitcher; Here

Valenti enamelware set; Here

Two-piece Modernist horse sculpture; Here

Bitossi blue cat; Here

San Marino-style ceramic & leather dish; Here

Yellow Ceramic Planter; Here

On the Radar -- A Red Handbag

Things have been pretty hectic around the Blackbird World Headquarters lately.  As you learned in the Junk Love post for this week, the other Blackbird deserted me to travel across the ocean and have all kinds of adventures in Ireland.  It was a really boring, long, sad two weeks while she was gone, but I was productive!  Well, I was for the first week.  The second week -- not so much.  All I can say is that I am thankful for my Netflix subscription, and I now have a new appreciation for Gossip Girl. 

(In my defense, I had to watch something.  I tried Antiques Roadshow, but believe me, that just made it worse.)

But since she got back home, we have been junk shopping like mad.  (Boy, have we been finding some really good stuff!)  I've been listing our new finds left and right in the Etsy shop.  We're both getting ready to start teaching again -- she's really the teacher, I just have one class.  And the blog has been suffering.  You know, for example, a Radar post on Friday...

Anyway, in the middle of all this, we sold this bag on Etsy:

It's a super sweet frame handbag by Dover, and it has a lovely new home in Texas.  However, while I was bringing this bag from our storage studio to the house, I got several offers from people wanting to purchase it.  When I told them it was sold, they asked, "Do you have any more?"

Oooooookaaaaayyyyy....What's that about?  And then I checked the stats on Etsy.  This bag's views spiked last Saturday.  A major spike.

And then I remembered what one lady who wanted to buy this bag said -- she said, "I'm all about a red bag right now."  So I looked it up, and lo and behold!  EVERYBODY'S about a red bag this fall!

I feel like I am so behind the curve!  But maybe it's because I'm ALWAYS about a red bag.  Red is my favorite color, and if given the choice, I will always pick it.

So here's my roundup of designer bags to drool over.  Look at these, and then just go to Etsy or your local antique store and buy a vintage one.  I mean, ours was only $18.  That's a steal!

Roberto Cavalli, Fall 2013

Marchesa clutches, Fall 2013

Dolce and Gabbana, Fall 2013

All Valentino, Fall 2013

Alexander McQueen, Fall 2013

On the Radar -- Black and White and Red All Over

We've talked about black and white -- you know, the trend that never ends.  Well, it seems designers have moved on to another classic combo.  Black, white, and RED.  I was flipping through my latest Harper's Bazaar and started noticing all the red.  And then all of the black and white.  Hmmmm...

So here's my round up of some of my favorite finds, like Alexander McQueen.  Oh, and a few other designers.  Really, what more do you need in life?  

Well, maybe Robert Downey Jr.  But hey, that's just a Blackbird girl preference.

Enjoy!

John Paul Gaultier, Fall/Winter 2013

Alexander McQueen, Fall/Winter 2013

Vivienne Tam, Fall/Winter 2013

From Vogue Portugal.

Giambattista Valli, Fall/Winter 2013

Vintage silk scarf, available in our shop, here.

Junk Love Monday: Red Means Go

Although we Blackbird girls are known for being unapologetic shopaholics (ahem...addicts) when it comes to junk, we are selective with what we buy. We do have a budget to stick to, so the items that we buy need to meet certain standards. However, certain characteristics often throw all of our other criteria out the window. At this point, there is no civil discussion. Do we need it? Do we have a place for it? Is it functional? Who cares? It's red. Throw it in the cart. (*This also happens with turquoise items. We'll talk about that later.)

Dansk enamel pot, from EightMileVintage on etsy

Red things just speak to us. It doesn't really matter what it is. From where I am sitting at this moment as I write this post, I can see the following items in my living room: a red handled glass cutter, a red toy telephone, a red planter, five red tins, a red and white toy guitar, vintage red and white polka dot bean bags, a red ice bucket, a selection of large red dice, a red lantern, a red metal store display box, a red letter R, a large red D, and a red bowl full of vintage billiard balls. When I'm bored, I like to type "vintage red" into the search box on Etsy and look at page after page of glorious stuff.

from Evergreensdreams on etsy

So, we like red. And this doesn't even touch the amount of vintage red fabulousness in our kitchen. More to come on that later, but here's a great teaser:

So, I thought I'd look around the Internet for some items that speak our language. What can I say? I'm a glutton/shopaholic who is known for having no restraint whatsoever when buying junk in the month of February (every day is my birthday!), so I may or may not also be buying some of these items. Enjoy!

Hello?, available at TheRotaryShoppe on etsy

handles, from fallaloft on etsy

from BlueSugarVintage on etsy

from twinkleberrytoys on etsy

Be still my heart....; from VintageHoopla on etsy

wallsantiques on etsy

Fondue pot!; HerVintageCrush on etsy

Mid-century lithograph; ModishVintage on etsy