Ooh, shiny!

I have always loved Venetian mirrors, especially extremely intricate ones paired with ultra-clean interiors. Unfortunately, Venetian mirrors are generally thousands of dollars, so I may just have to settle for this pair of shoes:




Shoes? you ask? Well, the moment I saw the pair above, it reminded me of an unusual Venetian mirror I had seen in a photograph on Flickr. The "etching" (stitches, really), and their reflectivity are obvious similarities; but the unexpected red accent on the underside of the high heel echoes the red coloring on the mirror below perfectly:


I love when fashion and interiors collide!

*swoon*
Paige

Shoes via My Theresa; Venetian mirror photograph via Vitor P.'s photostream

Thrifted Thursday - Bell Jar

I've always enjoyed thrift shopping, but when I started to get really into it (circa 2006), I kept noticing bell jars on thrift store shelves... but I didn't realize what they actually were for awhile. (Yes, silly, oblivious me.)

"That's the stupidest candle holder I've ever seen! The flame won't burn because it won't have any oxygen!"

"How is this cup supposed to work? It doesn't have a flat bottom!"

I promise I don't usually have such stereotypical blonde moments. (I still can't believe I'm actually admitting this happened... *smacks forehead*) It wasn't actually until 2007 when I returned from studying abroad in India that I realized these strange glass cups' true purpose.

Near the end of my trip, I had purchased a perfectly sized little Buddha. It was a typical tourist gift, but it really is beautiful; and because I had perfected my bargaining skills after five months of speaking Nepali, it was really inexpensive! *proud grin*




A few weeks after I got home, I found myself in a thrift store (of course), and came across an odd-looking jar that would fit my little Buddha perfectly. It was then that I finally realized what it was for. (It's still so embarrassing to admit how stupid I was...)

So I bought it, and voila! He is now quite happy and dust-free.




*swoon*
Paige

Glassybaby

I've always loved glassbaby, the Seattle-based company that makes beautiful hand-blown glass votive holders/cups in all different shades and opacity levels.


After finally visiting their site last night, I discovered their backstory: The woman who started the company is a cancer survivor. For her, the light from each glassybaby votive was like "that deep breath that we often forget to take." Simply beautiful.


A good portion of glassybaby's proceeds go towards cancer research and other cancer-related organizations (buy commemorative glassybabys here). Beauty is always amplified when it's combined with a good cause.


I definitely plan on including these more often in my personal events, and at the events I'll be planning at my new job I started this week(!).


They have stores all over the country, but their flagship store/studio is in the Madrona neighborhood of Seattle. I hope I get a chance to stop in very soon!

I hope your weekend is filled with beautiful light, from candles to sunshine!

*swoon*
Paige

Photos from Glassybaby

Thrifted Thursday - Glass Decanters

For today's Thrifted Thursday, I wanted to show off two of my favorite glass finds from my scavenging adventures. (My camera isn't fantastic, so I apologize for the photo quality!)

This first one is a vintage Pyrex decanter with a gold sunburst on either side. What caught my eye was its unique shape - it reminded me of high school science class (you may have noticed I'm secretly a huge nerd)! At first, I actually thought it was a beaker of some sort, but I have decided it's a decanter because of the sunburst and the little tiny spout at the top. I've scoured the internet for its history, but haven't been able to find any hints as to what year it was made, or its true use. Does anyone have any insight?


This next decanter is much taller and has a beautiful, heavy glass stopper with a sandblasted "cork." Some online research tells me it is most likely Princess House Heritage glass, but I haven't been able to find this exact design. My guess is that it is from the late '60s to early '70s. Once again, does anyone have any specific information?



What are some of your favorite thrifted finds? Have you come across any similar glass pieces? Any true collectibles?

Now all I need is some wine to decant! Who's up for a wine tasting party?

*swoon*
Paige