COSTUMES! COSTUMES! COSTUMES!

COSTUMES, COSTUMES, COSTUMES!!! I have decided to part with the remainder of my vintage costume collection...and just in time for Halloween! So if you live in the Healdsburg area (or don't mind traveling to the beautiful Sonoma County wine country for some fantastic duds)... come on up and visit MILL STREET ANTIQUES located at 44 Mill Street, Healdsburg, CA...  Just yesterday I packed my space FULL... it basically looks like a time machine blew up. Enjoy!

Projects-in-Progress...

While I finish wrapping up the current projects and displays I have been working on, I thought I would share so quick sneak peek at the latest..... First, a miniature window with a wedding theme for a local jewelry store... Diamonds and weddings..... (I am just happy to be utilizing these mini dress form/mannequins I picked up on eBay not to long ago (smile).  First, the bride:

and a couple of bridesmaids...

The newly re-merchandised Roadhouse tasting room:

Arboretum's Halloween display... or the (nearly/what felt like a) 300-lb. gargoyle I hauled in:

And finally, Circumference.  Circumference is also located on the Healdsburg square and features a wide array of imports.  Hand blown glass vases, rugs, telephone wire bowls, amazing stuff...

So for now...its back to work!

Seeing Red (in Mendocino County)?

Once a week I travel up to Mendocino County to work on remerching a carpet store in Willits... I have been heading up there for a little while now, at least enough to have chosen my favorite eat in the 'blink and you'll miss it' town... Chinese! Yum! However, until yesterday I had never ventured into the restroom there, just your typical in and out to pick up an order... so imagine my surprise when I enter the bathroom and see the lovely eye candy pictured above! BEAUTIFUL!... Little did I know it would end up being a 'theme' for the rest of my lunch retreat...

As I headed back to the store, I decided to take a few minutes and explore.... I opted to follow my heart (not street signs) and within the 15 minutes that I allotted myself, one fab find after another... RED, RED, RED... so I snapped some pics with my iphone and now I am plotting... mainly in regards to the phone booth... I WANT THIS PIECE!....and considering that I LITERALLY found it in the middle of NO WHERE & it was filled with misc. stuff... *hopefully* I will be able to wrangle that into my possession here in the foreseeable future.... (I think its going to happen) (based solely upon my gut feeling....only time & persistence will tell........)

Followed by this amazing old train depot station which was also red... like I said, I was seeing red... it was that kind of day.

Micro Succulent Gardens Available at Arboretum Apparel, Healdsburg!

Photo courtesy of Lisa Vannucci

I absolutely LOVE and adore succulents... in fact, they are sprinkled and hidden all over my garden and can be found in double abundance in the many potted plants around my back porch and yard.  Towards the start of the summer, when I was weeding, planting and preparing for my summer garden an idea dawned on me.... the following pictures are succulents arranged as micro-gardens within recycled white, milk glass jars... (you know... when things like Ponds face cream and Oil of Olay were actually sold in GLASS jars!?!?...if you don't know ask your Grandma, she surely remembers these days)... so if you like what you see... visit Arboretum Apparel located at 323 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, CA.  Tell Andi & Kate you  heard about these teeny creations here... and enjoy your very own micro garden of succulent bliss!

Can You See What I See?

Can You See What I See?... I thought this picture was pretty neat, something I am working on, upcycling something vintage... what do you think it is?

A 1950′s BMW original smart car: The best window display of all time | HARE+HART

Playing Catch Up....

A 1950′s BMW original smart car: The best window display of all time | HARE+HART

Patches!

I have been amassing vintage patches for some time now with the idea in mind that I would use them on some of this years Christmas stockings... However, I may be changing my mind because they are just great and I am not sure I can give them up!?!  I am toying with the idea of using them all together on a quilt... I am also open to any and ALL suggestions... what do you think these should be used for....?

Playing Catch Up... POTTERY BARN!

The Wonders of the Sea...

Coincidence?..... My May 2011 catalog showed up from Pottery Barn a few months back (this is a "playing catch up" post...after all)... and imagine my THRILL & surprise to see an item I picked up at a local yard sale SMACK dab on the cover!?! I have been aware that PB has been using Healdsburg and the surrounding area(s) for their catalog shoots for sometime now... so it was only a matter of time before their designers gravitated towards Healdsburg's biggest and best antique store... Mill Street Antiques.  The four, small porcelain signs were purchased from my retail space and used to complete the look on the ocean-themed shelf that appears on cover and throughout the catalog.  Lastly, I found it extremely "interesting" the fact that my name, spelt... Sta-SEA... and 'The Wonders of the SEA' theme... if anything, its just personal gratification and significance... both of which are more than fine with me.

Bicoastal!!!

I am absolutely THRILLED to report that Seahoney will be bicoastal here shortly! I am so excited to share my latest window installation with you once it is designed & in place... should be about 3 weeks from now and I will make sure to post an update with images and more details... but for now... I am officially designing on both the East and West coasts and really looking forward to seeing New Jersey!

(I know this post is "vague," but... just be excited with me :)

Great Expectations...

I just spent the last 3 1/2 days in wonderful, beautiful, incredible Napa doing a kitchen resto to a "vintage-style" kitchen.  The house, located in downtown Napa is nearly 100 years old and full of surprises.... but it was a great challenge and lots of fun to do.  I just can't wait to get back and finish the staging and decorating! This is my favorite time though, the in between.. the hunt...for just the perfect things... So while we wait to see this project added to my portfolio I am dying to share something already...so here is a quick before and (nearing) after:

Set of 4 vintage Fire-King red polka dot bowls were purchased online (I can't imagine seeing these for sale in a store!?! That would be a DREAM COME TRUE)(Why don't they make amazing pieces like this anymore??) The Oxbow in Napa served up this scoop of pure perfection which now hangs opposite the red corner cabinets... (detailed before and afters photographs coming soon):

But you may (or maybe not) be asking yourself right about now...what does this have to do with "great expectations"??? Not a thing... well, not really.... 

Great expectations is the appetite I built up burning off calories like an insane person over the weekend trying to get this project tied up! Once I was back in the 'burg, I was feeling feisty and ready to EAT... I was so confident that I could eat all of my order that I made an "unwise" bar bet... that I could eat ALL of my dinner... I lost by 4 chicken wings (less a bite)... I really had such great expectations as I compared myself to the "Black Widow," Sonya Thomas and San Francisco Giants closer, Brian Wilson........ Not today & you're welcome.

Update on Houndstooth Decanter & Shot Glass Set!

So, after a little googling I discovered a sixth shot glass that belongs in the set... black & white!?! See image below:

                                                                  Photo by: Sunny Day Vintage

Vintage Houndstooth Decanter and Shot Glass Set

I have had these two tiny, yet adorable vintage houndstooth shot glasses for some time now... they are marked "France" on the bottom and the fun blue and orange just caught my eye... so imagine my surprise when out of the corner of my eye....... the matching decanter!?!?  Once I arrived home and did a quick internet search, I discovered that these retro bar sets are out there and collectible.  So red, yellow and green houndstooth shot glasses... watch out... I am coming for you....

                                                                          Photo by: vintagezen

And now for my set.... 

Playing Catch Up...

I am adding some posts that are not necessarily "new"... but seeing as how my blog is all new along with my website... soooo... there is a bit of catching up to do...

January 2011: Barrett Jackson, Scottsdale, AZ - Interview with ClassicAutoTrader.com:

I will keep the updates comings and eventually get all caught up here.... one last video seeing as how this post already has a "Little Louise" theme going... this video is courtesy of Hunter Freeman and was shot during the photo shoot here:

And the link to the video (which isn't on youtube otherwise I would just upload it for you...):
https://hunterfreeman.wordpress.com/2011/01/13/how-many-smiles-to-the-mile/

Vintage Costume Jewelry Challenge... My past 5 days SPARKLED!

I didn't anticipate challenging myself to don the vintage jewels I am sooo drawn to when I sat down to write the entry I made last Monday... but that is how it turned out.  I have to confess that I really didn't anticipate the entire "experience" to be as much fun as it turned out to be... but it was!?!  Here are the hi-lites from my week in rhinestones, faux pearls and all the glitz and glam that is typically reserved for far more interesting events and fancy places.... but I wore it everywhere... the gas station, car wash, grocery store and more.... I have to say that I smiled almost non-stop and had one of the best weeks I have had in a long time... while I won't be adorning my wrists, ears, neck and the like with my costume jewelry every day... I am definitely inspired to start wearing it more often than I have... here are the days in consecutive order:

Day 1: Monday (posted earlier):

Day 2: Tuesday:

Yes, day 2 was a bit on the "boring" side... especially seeing as how I wore those same bracelets the day before... but I did rock the red-eye fish brooch....

Day 3: Wednesday:

Day 4: Thursday:

Day 5: Friday:

Okay... so I guess I didn't get around to setting up the tripod and getting a (COMPLETELY staged) pic of myself running the pink Dyson with the tiara... but I will!!!

NOTE: After reviewing this post prior to publishing I realized that this whole "challenge" is crap and that I didn't really wear any "COSTUME" jewels all week long?!? I just wore a bunch of my vintage pieces that I wear sometimes anyway!?!? Sooo... with that being said and noted, I am vowing for a re-do.... and, because it already Monday... starting next Monday.... all RHINESTONES ALL week! Regardless of where I go and what I do (the bank, San Francisco, Marmot meeting.... who knows?!?... but I am going in RHINESTONES) (& I will attempt to do a better job at documenting).... until then...

Etsy item featured on School of Vintage!

Summer has FINALLY arrived and with summer comes swimsuits! Why not relax by your pool in something ultra fantastic... like a super fab vintage swimsuit? I am happy to report that I am not the only one that thinks this way... the retro-themed blog, "School of Vintage" thinks so as well... check out the article posted by Erin and Jeannine here:

http://www.schoolofvintage.com/2011/06/its-that-time-of-year.html

and keep your eyes peeled for more vintage swimsuits coming to my Etsy store soon.... (I have some REAL gems to list...) in the meantime check out my store for items like the one featured in this article and happy summer!

Etsy shop link: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Seahoney1?ref=si_shop&view_type=gallery

Finding Inspiration.... EVERYWHERE...

Today I am installing a new window display at Arboretum in Healdsburg, CA.  Arboretum is, hands down, my most favorite store in town! The clothes, besides being ethically made with the finest of organic  materials, their stuff just rocks.  Andi & Kate do such an amazing job of keeping the cutest, most fabulous frocks in store season after season.  So last week when Andi asked me if I was interested in putting something together for them............ I started thinking.... all I could come up with was......

 - summer
 - color
 - clothes
 - simplistic(ish) (as "simplistic" as anything I do can be)

.....and so I pondered and with no real quick frontrunners in the form of an idyllic summer window, I went out scavenging...searching....seeking inspiration..... and low and behold.... it found me!?!  Soooo... without giving too much away just yet... this was the treasure and the inspiration behind the new Arboretum window:

And as for my vintage costume jewelry "challenge".... Day 1, I kept it simple... I really am going to have to step-up my game though as the week progresses............

I know, I know... not really "doing it up" with my two Bakelite bracelets.... but I have 4 more days to get it to gaudy! Have a great day today-xo

My Love Affair...

 Anyone who knows me, has ever known me or will know me... knows I have a few "loves."  In fact, no parentheses are even necessary.... lets just call it what it is L-O-V-E, tried and true, full-on, no ifs, ands or buts... I ADORE vintage costume jewelry.  Rhinestones, Bakelite, Monet, Trifari, BSK, baguettes, Cathe, crystals, the funky, unusual, unpredictable and just plain GAUDY... But how does this apply to Seahoney (other than just being beautiful objects that personally find to be ultra-irresistable???---well, they don't)... but they do provide inspiration and I don't know about you... but you try running the vacuum while dripping in roughly 3 or 4 pounds of flashy faux-diamonds and see if your day doesn't vastly improve (or at the very least get a significantly more interesting!).... so today I say... its Monday, do something silly this week, something fun.... something unexpected... I challenge you all.  And in the name of amazing vintage fashion I will do the same.... so stay tuned because I will document and post some pics that prove I bucked up to my own challenge.... I plan on going "all the way," so stay tuned...

Here we go......

Here we go... my new website is ALMOST up & running after a few months of headaches, heartaches and considerable stress... but finally... we can finally see the "finish line".... there is so much to catch up on and lots of blog updates to post... so keep posted and wait to find out how: I found myself on the cover of the May 2010 Pottery Barn catalog!?!?! (well, not me 'literally,' but my DIRECT influence), also get ready to hear more about upcoming projects with Hunter Freeman and last but not least, MORE window displays... Marmot in Park City, Utah and Aspen, Colorado!.... so stay tuned!

xo,
Stasea