Wednesday, June 27, 2012

New Finds Wednesday

 Got some pretty fun signs in Whimsy right now--some vintage and some are great reproductions.
The Raven Shoe sign is double sided, above.
 Above is a lighted arrow and we love the construction of these. Right now we are carrying the
arrows and stars, but you will love looking at our catalog, which has other cool symbols and great fonts of letters. Imagine how fun it would be to spell out your name or some other significant word and have it all lit!
 The repro sign above looks amazing. We just got them in and only have one left!
Below is my favorite, a double sided hand Garden sign!
Below is a great vintage sign---hmmm, how about some tasty boiled ham?!
 A little view into our seaside room, with that great arrow lit!

 Great burlap pillow with pigeon design.
 We have a few sets of wings! Ready to take flight?!

Check out the red arrow below near the antique japanese clock.
The sign above is a reproduction but the graphics are wonderful.
Imagine living when pies were only 23 cents. Kind of like the time when a boiled ham meal
was 51 cents! For under a dollar, what a meal you could have had!

Come check out all our new cool items at Whimsy!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Why I love what I do

It may be obvious. Sure I am in LOVE with old stuff.  In fact, I often feel like I am from a different era, but I can relate to so may eras so it is hard to know which one.  One thing is for sure, when I find something old, it speaks to me. It makes my heart skip, actually.
Yes, I LOVE the thrill of the hunt, I love bringing the finds to my two stores, and I LOVE creating vignettes
with these treasures found at so many different locations, and bringing them together happily.
 I LOVE my customers--each and every one--who can"appreciate" my efforts and see the beauty of what I create with these old finds.
I LOVE talking to the people who come in, hearing their stories and getting to know them. Some come in only once on their big trip to the U.S., others come in nearly every day to see what's new.

But, my passions in this field go much deeper than meets the eye.

I cherish the people that I meet at yard sales and estate sales. The families I have the pleasure of chatting with. Some are distraught selling their loved ones estates, others are ecstatic to finally clean out their garages and attics.
I hear such interesting stories about the treasures I find. I see places that are beyond words.
From mansions that you can get lost in, to serious hoarder houses that would repulse anyone.
I have been coast to coast  treasure hunting, and some places and people that I see and meet have become part of who I am. 

The little boy I met yesterday is one of those I will never forget. And his parents, as well.
The little boy, maybe 8, was a little man. He helped his parents with this absolutely daunting task of cleaning out his grandfather's repulsive hoarder house.  He told me it smelled so bad, and I won't go into detail why, that he wished he could have had a mask on. The little boy told me that the items in that part of the garage were off limits--because they were "personal" to the family. 

He told me he wanted to be a Marine.
He told me his uncle was in Afganistan fighting in the war. His uncle almost died the other day and his uncle has a wife and baby.  A neighbor brought over a pitcher of ice cold lemonade for the family so the little
boy took a break and then talked some more. 

At this moment, I realized once more that my love for this work I do, is so important and the people that I meet are so important. In my own way, I can let their discarded items continue to stay on this planet, stay out of landfills, and hopefully enjoyed by my customers for many years to come. And in my imaginary world, those items will carry the loving spirits of the people who sold them to me.

I LOVE the people I meet.

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

New Finds Wednesday

 We are in love with a new Summer fresh color---CORAL!
We have refreshed some vintage pieces with this great color and love the punch it gives!
The seats of these 2 vintage chairs have been reupholstered in vintage, yet so hip fabric!

 Above is a flower power lightweight coat straight from the 60's!
 Love the clown game---really a fun piece to use or just set in a corner for a little whimsy!
Just in are these vintage fruit crates. We got in a dozen and they have the greatest patina 
and are just rustic enough. The possibilities are endless!


 Our Whimsy window on Linden Ave. has the vintage wooden dolphins sculpture which was created out of
a solid piece of wood in North Carolina. The sculpture is extremely beautiful and extremely heavy!  Would look perfect in your beach house or outdoors.  It was previously outdoors and weathered nicely.
 Another shot of the coral cabinet that would be ideal in a kitchen, hallway, bathroom, etc!
 Got some great new finds in our "earthy room"!
 Our Whimsy originals "A, B, Seas" photos are always available to create your own words,
and now we have made some fun bookmarks!
Why not grab your soul mate and head over to the beach, but first please visit our two fun shops downtown quaint seaside Carpinteria--Whimsy Antiques!

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

New Finds Wednesday

 Summer is just around the corner, and in many ways, it has already hit Whimsy!
Not just the smiling tourists that are visiting us, but the wonderful vintage finds are screaming SUMMER!
Above, is a sampling of this--from the 60's tunic, to the croquet set ready to come to your next barbeque.
 We are always on the hunt for cool signs and we have some great ones pictured here. Above, is a great
vintage enamel sign to let everyone know that you claim the space as your own!
Red and white is a sure way to pep up your decor. We love the tickets sign below!
 We love children at Whimsy and in both shops we have a great selection of finds for kiddos--like the
wonderful unique collection of antique chairs below!
 Love this over sized cart that would be so fun overflowing with flowers in your front yard!
 Wonderful collection of vintage bathing suits!
 Amazing antique typewriter would be a statement right next to your laptop---would you agree?
 Fantastic collection of vintage cookbooks. Love this Domino Sugar one--everyone can learn how to lose weight with sugar! 
 Not vintage, I know---but how can you resist American Apparel children t's and baby onesies at a mere $12 a pop?!
 With Father's Day approaching rapidly, Whimsy is stocked with gifts that any Dad would love!
This antique Philco radio/ table is perfect for Dad!

 Maybe your muscle bound father, would love a vintage sign?!
 Or, a vintage apron to barbecue in?!
 This little vignette is a bit random, but hopefully will make you smile!
3 brides and an antique cast iron elephant!
Whimsy Antiques
Open nearly every day 11-5ish!
With Summer, you are bound to find us open early and close late---come check us out in
 downtown Carpinteria!

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

New Finds Wednesday

 New finds at Whimsy this week at our original store on 7th Street!
A very HAPPY sign sitting on vintage plaid suitcase and another overnighter piece is to the 
right tucked in a cabinet.
 I am a true lover of "honest paint"---paint that is original and vintage and if it has a few layers--all the better!
The two chairs above have a great green and some grey peeking through!
The awesome Adirondack below is chippy white paint and a star cut out as part of the original construction.
 The rustic black small chest has "coral" designed handles and really beachy!
 In both stores we have wonderful strands of gradating knobby sea stars that are wonderful!
 A whole collection of folk art masks made of coconut shells and pods and seeds and 
painted in vibrant colors and designs.
 In Gale's room, you will find lots of fun kitchen items and this treasure chest is stocked full of vintage
utilitarian pieces ready to use or display.
 Heidi from Recycled Denims has adorable change purses and each one is unique and embellished
with vintage buttons and fabrics.
 This green painted vintage table is so fresh! Love the color, and speaking of color--
how about some retro blue shoes?!

 Let's pretend we are in Paris as we peek into Laurinda's adorable collections.
 Each of these vintage perfume bottles is unique and tiny and a mere 2 bucks a pop!
 Oo-La-La! Love this swanky sheer vintage robe!

Come and explore our two stores in gorgeous seaside Carpinteria! 

Whimsy is open everyday form 11-5ish!