Vintage Bazaar Today

Today is The Vintage Bazaar!

The Vintage Bazaar is a modern, pop-up flea market based in Chicago, Illinois. Produced by Katherine Raz and Libby Alexander, this flea has vintage oddments, collectibles, & more all for sale at thrifty prices.

Basically, it's like a swap meet without the socks & overstock + there will be beer & pie.

Popping up TODAY Sunday, 8/22 from 12-7pm at Congress Theater, 2135 N. Milwaukee.

Last time I found some great things, but we learned our lesson and will get there EARLY this time to make sure we have first look at all the goods.

Can't wait to see what we find :-)

Last Weekend's Vintage Bazaar Finds

Last weekend I went to The Vintage Bazaar in Chicago with my sister and her friend Allyson and had a great time.

First, we had brunch at Cafe Selmarie where I started the day off right with a vanilla latte while we waited for our table. Once seated, I ordered a delicious chilaquiles casserole and a refreshing mimosa. They also have a wonderful pastry case but we had stuffed ourselves silly, and had to take a pass.

Next, we headed over to the bazaar around 1pm to find a line around the block!

The staffers said that they grossly underestimated the turnout of the "pop-up flea market" and they were basically doing "one-in one-out" so that it was not overcrowded inside. We were very antsy as we inched closer and closer to the door and felt tortured as we watched others walk out with their new-found treasure. But then it was finally our turn!

My first stop was at two neighboring booths right near the entrance, where I snatched a large, white milkglass vase from vendor 'Pretty. Quirky.' for $7.

And then I spotted this cool vintage chandelier from vendor 'Fine Diving' for just $25.

It had suffered a bit of bazaar wear-and-tear -- one of the strings of the beads had fallen off and scattered underneath their display -- but the nice seller offered to take my address down and mail me the remaining beads to re-string... and this week she did just that.

Also, I poked around online a little and found the post where she featured the before and after of my new kitschy chandelier here. I love knowing a little history about about my new piece.

Today I went to the Home Depot and bought a 3 foot chain and a few more materials with the hopes of hanging it in the area over our TV. Now I just need to borrow a VERY tall ladder :-)

My last find was this random little container that I thought would be a nice addition to my "bird room", aka the guest bedroom.

At first I added it to a bedside table...

...but then I moved it to the guest bathroom where I might even use it as a soap dish.

Here is my loot again, altogether.

I can't wait for another one of these bazaars to pop-up sometime. It has also given me some great new blogs/vendors to follow and a hankering to go thrifting again sometime very soon!

Kitschy Kool: Volume 5: Orla Kiely for Target

I love when Target picks up great designers to make affordable collections for the masses, and Orla Kiely is no exception. I love her stuff! Her vibrant prints are really fun and kitschy. I have been coveting many of her bags, but have never put out the cash yet to make one my own. 

I really have loved her Multi Stem Holdall, ever since I saw it a long while ago at Anthropologie because I think it's so cute:

And lucky me (us) I just read today here that her collection is due to hit Target Stores in February; I couldn't be more excited! (Too bad it's more housewares than bags, but oh well).

Yes, her prints are completely kitschy, mod and 70's throw back, and I agree with some other bloggers that taking home the entire collection would look like That 70's Show threw up in your house, but like every good trend, less is more. 

For instance, I like this more edited selection, from her Target Collection, that I saw featured on the SCOOP today.

I can definitely see one or two of these items at my house, maybe one or two pear canisters and a pitcher. Can't you just picture yourself as a kitschy kool housewife with this stuff?

Now I just hope that I actually get a heads up to exactly when this will hit my Target store, because whenever they feature these designers I feel like you need to get there in the first few days or else it's all picked over.

I hope you enjoyed this edition of Kitschy Kool!

Kitschy Kool: Volume 2: Nativity Sets

So I realized this week what our tree was missing, a Nativity Scene! I'm not really sure I want a traditional carved or ceramic one, so I went on the search for a kitschy-cool nativity set... what? Jesus, Mary & Joseph can be "kool" too :-)

So here are my finds so far:

Option #1: Children's Felt Nativity

I mean, what's not to love here! You all know my feelings on felt this season, so what a great addition:

Option #2: Little People: Christmas Story Nativity

Ok, maybe I just love toys, but isn't this cute...err, I mean kitschy kool:

Option #3: Vintage Christmas Manger

Of course, last but not least, I could not leave out my favorite site Etsy ! And look what I found in their vintage listings, a 1950's cardboard nativity set:

Ok, so time to vote, which of these kitschy kool nativity sets belong under my tree?

My First Blog Post...ever!

Hello! Welcome to my first blog...ever!

I am writer gone lazy and figured I spend so much time on the computer that I might as well chronicle my crazy days and not so crazy nights, for whomever cares to read about it.

I created my blog name after using this nifty Invent-a-Word site: http://www.degraeve.com/invent-a-word/index.php

I entered Chicago and came up with many glorious compound words of sorts, that share a suffix or prefix with the word Chicago. Kitsch fit me well. It says creative, crafty and a little cheesy all rolled in to one, that's me :-)

Right now, 4 months away from my wedding, my life consists of planning my St. Louis wedding from Chicago and working. That's about it. But I promise to try to make my life more exciting now that I know readers may hold me accountable to it.

Stay tuned for more to come as I learn all there is to know about the wonderful world of blogging.