The Vintage House 29 Aug 2012 6:57 PM (12 years ago)

Hello to our Friends of a Feather ~

We are spending most of our time these days creating new ways to use our sweet little vintage house! As most of you know, my mom Marilyn lived in this house for 18 years. She decided about a year ago that she didn't want to live alone any more. So, my dear, sweet husband and I had her move into where my art studio once was in our own vintage home on 83rd Street.

Since then, she and I have named her sweet little place The Vintage House and have developed it into a place to share with others ~ creating a unique little venue for private events and small gatherings, as well as creating our own unique themed events that we host ourselves.

Click this link {The Vintage House} to find out more details
and what events we have planned in the near future.

Red Tag Sale @ My Friend of a Feather's Shop 5 Jul 2012 6:57 PM (12 years ago)

My dear Friend of a Feather, Cheryl Hocker, owns Now and Then...a great little shop in old downtown Overland Park. She has just reopened the back of her store to accommodate more incredible treasures that crosses her threshold!

She is currently having a Red Tag Sale!

The items shown in these photos are just a sampling of her inventory of goodies...

If you see something that interests you, you'd better shop early!

This double adirondak seat would look fabulous in any garden setting.

I love this old milk can...what fun graphics!

This piece is incredible...and you should see it even if you don't need a piece like this...
It has several little porcelain drawers with German words describing what goes in them.
Cheryl has the translations for anyone who is interested in this unique piece.

There are actually four pieces to this sweet children's wicker furniture set...
my grandkids would love to relax here for at least a minute or two...

This antique iron crib makes a beautiful addition to any sunporch as a day bed or settee'.

You can never go wrong adding a lovely wicker piece to your decor.

I love these beautifully painted matching pieces...so sweet for a little girl's room.

Be sure to tell Cheryl that I sent you!!!

After shopping at her store...there are several great places in downtown Overland Park to grab lunch...or maybe a piece of pie at the Upper Crust!

Enjoy!!

Friends of a Feather Sale This Friday and Saturday 10 to 5...7612 W. 80th Street...Old Downtown Overland Park... 14 Jun 2012 8:33 PM (12 years ago)

Just a sampling of our eclectic mix of furniture, accessories, handmades, and things for the garden...

Ann Lund - Dining in Style...will be sampling some of her incredible delectables!

We are proud to offer these amazing bags that are made in India...JOYN, Inc.

We are excited about our new Tea Garden...
where we will serve incredible homemade pies and cupcakes!
Come, relax and enjoy!

The Potting Shed...Open One More Weekend! 21 May 2012 6:42 PM (12 years ago)

A friend of mine, Laurie, and her husband are sharing their passion for gardening, by opening a
darling little shop at their home that is only open weekends through May...this coming Memorial
weekend is the last weekend to experience this inspiring place named "The Potting Shed."
The surroundings of their home are breathtaking! This is a MUST...you HAVE to stop by...
6741 Metcalf Avenue, Overland Park, Kansas - 10 to 5 - Friday and Saturday.

She sells beautiful, established flowers in unique containers.

She sells flowers individually as well, along with a wonderful, eclectic mix of
outdoor furniture and other unique pieces to enhance your outdoor and/or porch living...

This lovely, shabby sectioned box is a perfect example of the creative flower boxes
that she sells for you to showcase your beautiful blooms!

I LOVE this old pail used as a flower pot!

It is evident that Laurie and her husband love to create beautiful spaces in their yard,
as you will witness as you pull into this amazing little sanctuary!

The side porch of "The Potting Shed"is full of fun things for you to purchase!

The shop inside has fantastic little pieces i.e. garden furniture, little potting tables,
flower boxes, and other lovelies that you will want for your own.

This is a view of the backyard from the door of the shop...the park-like setting
is breathtaking...see the rest of the photos below that will give you a taste!
One word describes this amazing place...
I N C R E D I B L E!!

The porch is where I'd want to be...ALL the time...
Laurie's very talented husband built the screened-in porch on top of the already existing large deck.

LOVE this unique light fixture!

Laurie's decor is simple, but very rich in character...using pieces that she LOVES...

I am going to have to paint my bushel basket...LOVE the color!

If you live in the area, you SHOULD NOT miss this incredible place!!!

Needl Love Photo Shoot at My House 5 May 2012 6:21 AM (12 years ago)

I had the honor of having Renee Nanneman of Needl Love bring her
creative team to my home this past week to do a photo shoot of her next quilt book!
All of these projects are created using Renee's own line of gorgeous fabrics.

Doing a photo is alot of fun...and alot of hard work...constantly
reworking the scene...making sure of the perfect shot!

They reviewed the photos as they were taken on their laptop making sure
that the composition, lighting, and overall look of the photo is perfect!

Sometimes the lighting was very tricky...they would hold up
foam core panels to reflect the light just right.

My favorite shot...I have always wanted to put my own iron bed with a beautiful quilt
on it with flowing sheer curtains and a chandelier overhead under my pergola! How romantic!

The creative Needl Love team...Amy, Renee and Lesa...

Finding the perfect button {or two} for embellishment of an up close shot.

Time for lunch!! Need to keep the strength up!

Renee preparing the next shot...

Amy modeled the flea market bag that Lesa designed...
another lovely, and very innovative, pattern that you can make yourself!

LOVE the details....

Renee's new book will be published soon...and will be featured at the
Quilt Market that is being held in Kansas City this month.
I am sure that it will be a hit, as all of Renee's beautiful quilt books are!

Good luck Renee, and thanks for letting me be a part of your creative process!

My Mom's Creative Touch... 29 Apr 2012 5:29 PM (12 years ago)

My mom moved in with my husband and I late last summer. Her living quarters in our home was my art studio at one time, some of you may remember, and has turn out to be the perfect little spot for her. She has her own entrance through our front picket fenced courtyard, and has her own private access to the patio out back.

My husband and I spend most of our time outdoors in our picket fenced courtyard - it's like our big "playpen"...we have filled it with flowers, shrubs, trees, yard art, patio furniture...things we love! However, we have never put a whole lot into the patio out back...

We were thrilled when Mom asked us if we would mind if she put a few flower pots on the back patio...mind? Heck no! We gave her "full steam ahead." Mom couldn't wait for spring to come so she could begin the transformation...

She is so creative in every aspect of her life...and these photos taken of the patio show how she can really put "it" together...a "few" flower pots...I knew better... ;-)

Annabelle Grace, my 17 month old granddaughter, helped her G.G. (Great Grama) water her flowers...she LOVED pouring water out of the watering can!

My mom spends alot of time out there with her collie, Finnegan...

and we tend to spend more time out there now as well...who wouldn't want to?

Friends of a Feather June Sale 15 Apr 2012 6:42 PM (13 years ago)

Our next Friends of a Feather sale

at The Vintage House is slated for

June 15th & 16th!

Please mark your calendar!

We are gathering some great finds, and are welcoming some new, fantastic vendors to make your shopping experience even more exciting!

I Love... 5 Mar 2012 6:00 PM (13 years ago)

"I love" going to Kathi's house...she is a like-minded friend that I met in a craft store a few years

ago as we were both were standing side by side, drooling over beautiful, artistic papers...

She is a girl after my own heart...

She is always arranging...rearranging...decorating...redecorating...

flipping furniture from one room to the other...and then flipping them back again...she loves to search and find new unique pieces that she adores that she can integrate into her, already,

fantastic and unique style...

She does what she loves...and she does it so naturally...

You fall in LOVE with her house and her style over and over again...

"I love" the antique shoe rack in her sitting room...a perfect shelf to show off her collections...

"I love" the way she arranges old wooden boxes on her wall behind her couch...

"I love" the way she display things that she loves...

Ahh... the grays, whites, silvers and brown tones...love it!

"I love" her chandelier that hangs over her antique pedestal sewing machine table

that she uses as an island in her kitchen...

More grays, whites, silvers and brown tones...

"I love" her unique, comfortable style...

She recently acquired her grandmother's chandelier that hangs in her living room...love it!

Not only were we thrilled to see Kathi's beautiful home again, "I love" the delicious

tomato soup and chicken tortellini salad she served us!

Not to mention..."I love" the Hummingbird cake she dished up for dessert...

I look forward to another visit to Kathi's home soon...can't wait to see what she will do next!

You can visit Kathi's personal blog here...

www.traybellakc.blogspot.com

Kathi and another dear friend, Joan, have their own decorating business...
they will come in to your home and rearrange and redecorate...using what you have...
...check out their blog here!
www.burlapjunktion.blogspot.com

A Master Bedroom with Repurposed Decorative Touches 19 Feb 2012 7:18 PM (13 years ago)

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing a young stay-at-home mother of two named Sara, who wanted to give her master bedroom a "redo" that didn't cost an arm and a leg... She originally had her heart set on finding wallpaper to create a feature wall behind her bed, but when she priced designer wallpaper, and discovered how many rolls she needed, she had to rethink her vision. Instead she purchased an inexpensive stencil and some white paint. Using a level, some spray adhesive and a little patience, she created a "dramatic" look for "dramatically" less than her original plan.

This perfect little vintage settee was discovered at an antique store by Sara's mom,
who purchased a portion of it as a gift to Sara for Christmas.

"I needed an additional "pop" of color in the room."

After the room was nearly complete, Sara felt that there was something missing. She loved the navy and the golden colors together, but she felt it was a little bit too two-dimensional. She bought a can of "pimento" colored spray paint and sprayed her "light blue" lamp and an iron candle holder the yummy new color.

"The headboard is probably one of my favorite details in the room."

When she and her husband moved into their new home, they took the door off to the playroom, and she knew immediately that she wanted to repurpose it...but wasn't sure how. As she was perusing the new on-line bulletin board phenomenon "Pinterest," she saw an image of a door being used as a headboard, and she couldn't get her old headboard out of her room fast enough!

Sara added a funky golden colored owl to add some additional warmth to her room.

Sara explained that the small "bench" in front of her couch was given to her by her grandmother to use as a small coffee table. The bench was first painted white, then a small decorative stencil design was added to the top, to integrate in with the graphic designs already gracing Sara's bedroom.

"I went on a scavenger hunt around my house to find a fun mix of things."

Sara wanted to create a collaged wall of memories on the wall around her couch. Not only did she hang a collection of family photos, but she integrated several pieces of memorabilia: a piece of artwork that was designed by her grandfather over 30 years ago for her mom's wedding invitation; a shadowbox collage that her mom made for her husband one Christmas; three tiny Danish blue plates that her sister brought back to her from Denmark; and a vintage key from the first home she and her husband bought together.

A stack of books next to the settee' on a couple of storage
baskets...adding another "spot" of the golden color.
Another book laying on her dresser with an ornamental iron piece
on top, adds an additional "pop" of the red color to the room.

All in all, Sara did not have to spend much to create a whole new look to her bedroom...adding a bit of innovation for the feature wall, repurposing some of her treasures from around her house, using a bedspread and pillows that were used previously in a guest bedroom...and collecting small things that she loves...what a massive impact for so little invested! Amazing job Sara!

In the Search of "Goodies"... 12 Feb 2012 5:19 PM (13 years ago)

My sister, my niece and I took Mom to Ottawa, Kansas to celebrate her birthday last week, and to see if we could come across any goodies to bring to the Friends of a Feather sale.

We found goodies alright...but I won't be bringing these particular ones to the sale...the beautiful architecture of this small Kansas town, and the way they are being maintained by the current owners, is absolutely breathtaking! These buildings, that were constructed over a hundred years ago, are nothing short of remarkable...built with intricate details...unique, creative artistic design...and pure craftsmanship. I love that, on some, the year that they were constructed are engraved in stone and integrated into the building design, and some, additionally, feature a name.

I couldn't physically bring them to you...so I am sharing some of these wonders of a bygone era here on our blog...where I love to share creative and unique corners of our world with our "Friends of a Feather"!

As I was walking the main street of Ottawa photographing these beauties, Mom, Cara, Alexandra and I would tuck our heads into the many antique and flea markets that Ottawa had to offer!

By the way...we found some treasures that we DID bring home with us...

You'll have to come to our next Friends of a Feather Sale, which is on the calendar for

Thursday, February 23rd from 6 to 9 p.m.

Friday the 24th and Saturday 25th from 10 to 5

to see what we found!

LOVE CUBBIES!!!

We took a break to enjoy some lunch at one of the local restaurants...

"I bet you can't wait to see what we found...."

Friends of a Feather - Our Next Sale! 4 Feb 2012 8:30 AM (13 years ago)

Thursday, February 23rd ~ 6 to 9 p.m.

Friday, February 24th ~ 10 to 5

Saturday, February 25th ~ 10 to 5

Click this link to see a previous Friends of a Feather sale held at The Vintage House

And here...

A Friend of a Feather at Now & Then... 4 Feb 2012 7:45 AM (13 years ago)

One of my dear Friends of a Feather, Cheryl Hocker, owns a lovely little shop on the main street running through the middle of old downtown Overland Park...Now & Then at 7912 Santa Fe Drive. Her welcoming little store has an eclectic mix of unique treasures...whether they are antiques, shabby chic pieces, rustic, handmade furniture, repurposed and renewed furniture or a variety of home decor! There are always new wonderful items that come through the door.

You may also find Cheryl working on a unique piece in her own workshop that she will be opening up in the back of her store...so you really need to stop by often to see what Cheryl has to offer! She will be offering ideas on how you can renew your old pieces, or you can have her do it for you!

Creative Family Traditions... 7 Dec 2011 7:59 PM (13 years ago)

I come from a very creative family. My dad was a prominent Kansas City commercial artist and my Mom, well if you've been to our Friends of a Feather events, you probably have seen her beautiful, inspiring gems that she has created with her own two hands. My brother Scott, my two nieces Alexandra and Shelby are all amazing artists, not to mention my two daughters who are wonderful artists and creative women too, but don't give themselves enough credit...

One of my all-time favorite holiday traditions with my family on Thanksgiving is to sit around the dining room table and create a Christmas ornament. Now the tradition will continue with my grandchildren...this was priceless to see Max and Annabelle checking out the art supplies at hand...so busy...my youngest little buddy, Sullivan was napping at this time...he will be able to join in the fun next Thanksgiving...see his photo below!

Notice the turkey T-Shirts that my daughter Jennifer designed and created for the kids.

My little buddy Sullivan...such a happy little guy!

I'd like to invite you to share your

creative family tradition,

by commenting to my post below!

Our Holiday Open House...Just a Taste! 28 Nov 2011 8:32 PM (13 years ago)

We are so excited to be hosting our first ever

Friends of a Feather Holiday Open House!

We are opening our doors this

Thursday evening December 1st ~

from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

and will also be open Friday and Saturday ~ from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Come to our unique little vintage house to find a

wonderful stash

of new found one of a kind finds,

beautifully handcrafted ornaments,

vintage inspired home decor, vintage Hallmark ornaments,

lovely repurposed furniture,

among many other wonderful items that might just

be what you are looking for to decorate your home

this holiday...or perhaps find that unique gift

for someone special in your life.

We hope to see you here...bring a friend to share the evening!

Yummy cookies and warm seasonal punch will be served!

Friends of a Feather Holiday Open House ~ 19 Nov 2011 10:19 AM (13 years ago)

Going on a Treasure Hunt... 15 Nov 2011 4:36 PM (13 years ago)

I love to go on a treasure hunt...you never know what you will find, or what you will see along the way... My mom, my aunt, my sister, my niece and I headed west to the Flint Hills of Kansas in search of unique treasures to share at our next Friends of a Feather sale.

We saw many beautiful sights as we traveled along the way...

gorgeous old barns...

old houses that, once upon a time, were filled with family's, who now needs to be appreciated for what they once were...

little towns that seem to have been lost in the shuffle, though if you looked close enough, you could discover their unique, wonderful qualities...

and sometimes you would find a great little spot to stop and do some digging for treasures...

you will have to come to our next sale to see what we found and brought home!

The best treasure of all on this little excursion was the time I enjoyed with

"my dearest friends of a feather" ~

...my mom...my aunt...my sister...and my niece...

~ Happy days to all! ~ Lauri

Sunday...Fun Day! 29 Oct 2011 6:50 PM (13 years ago)

This Sunday is "Fun Day" at the

Friends of a Feather Vintage House!

Many items are being reduced...so we can make room

for new goodies that will fill our little shoppe for our

Holiday Open House December 2nd and 3rd.

(more on that later...)

Stop by Sunday, October 30th ~

we will be open 12 to 4.

The Friends of a Feather want to say thank you to all that stopped by our new little shoppe!!

Take a Peek Inside... 27 Oct 2011 8:23 PM (13 years ago)

The Friends of a Feather are ready to show the goods...

See you Friday, Saturday and/or Sunday - October 28th, 29th, & 30th!

7612 W. 80th Street ~ near old town Overland Park.

The following photos are just

a preview of what's to be seen.

Come and see the rest first hand!

A Home with an Early Overland Park History... 14 Oct 2011 8:16 AM (13 years ago)

I love a vintage home and all of its comfortable charm and "not-so-perfect" unique qualities. This little lovely one was home to my best "Friend of a Feather," (my mom), where she lived for 18 years, before recently moving in with my husband and me, and is now "our new spot" to showcase our Friends of a Feather unique finds and wonderful handmade treasures!

This home at 7612 W. 80th Street has a unique historic background in early Overland Park history.

William B Strang, Jr. (1857 - 1921) was an American railroad magnate who platted Overland Park, Kansas and is considered the founder of the community.[1] In 1905 Strang purchased 600 acres south of Kansas City, a portion of land where this home sits. Strang sold this particular piece of ground in approximately 1908-1910 to one of his employees, Mr. Langdon, for $75.00 so they could build this home in the new community where Mr. Langdon could work for Strang's Missouri and Kansas Interurban Railway and live with his family. This home is one of the three houses in a row on 80th street considered "a Strang home."

Come on by to see a bit of early Overland Park history, and shop our new Friends of a Feather venue!

We feel privileged to own a beautiful little vintage home with such a rich history that dates back to the nostalgic times of old-town Overland Park.

[1] http://www.downtownop.org/history.html

Decorating Vintage Style #1 9 Oct 2011 4:19 PM (13 years ago)

You will be inspired to decorate Vintage Style, or to embellish your own style, when you visit our Friends of a Feather Shoppe at 7612 W. 80th Street in old-town Overland Park. (Open once a month, or every-so-often...)

The following are photos of a few vintage decorating ideas from a my own collection of unique vintage finds that I have gathered and use to make my house "my home." These are examples of the unique one-of-a-kind finds that you might see at one of our Friends of a Feather sales...we are always on the look-out, searching for unique vintage finds that we can bring to you!

If you love any of these ideas, we would love to hear from you via a comment to this post! We will post more wonderful vintage decorating ideas!

An old blue wooden apple bucket resting on a shabby-looking stool.

I love old crocks with white berries and old blue enamelware
Photography of old houses, barns and schoolhouses in a simple wire frame.

Old pieces of architectural design hung on the wall...
look at these rustic beauties!

One of my handmade paper mache' birds that I make using old early 1900's newsprint,
from the publication "The Home Companion," sitting pretty
with three blue eggs in an old vintage white plate that becomes its nest.
Using old turquoise blue Ball canning jars as a receptacle for flowers.
The texture of old white shutters in the background sets the scene off!

Darling little vintage iron toys sitting on a
cubby shelf with an old blue and white creamer.

Some of MY favorites in blue...old advertising.
The old-style graphics and typography are so interesting.
I love to rest them in a vintage white bowl along
with vintage white crocheted lace and old bobbins of thread
the same color.

I love a vintage white pitcher full of dried off-white flowers
sitting on a vintage white coffee table.

I fell in love with this old potty chair painted such a nice blue...
making use of it with an old crock and some greenery.
Notice the interesting design of the old korbels
sitting in the corner next to an old fun cabinet.

Old title pages of sheet music with just the "right words" of a song
in beautiful old typography resting on an old shabby table,
along with a little bird house that I covered with old sheet music, and a 48 star flag.

The antique round metal architectural piece
makes such an interesting focal point above this bookcase,
along with other vintage finds and
vintage-inspired art, that I create and sell, to finish the look.

An antique bowl full of interesting vintage finds...
old vintage baby shoes, an old metal letter,
arranged with a unique vintage dog lamp,
a fun little bird house all resting on a vintage cut-lace linen.

Vintage-inspired art...along with two lovely lovebirds.

A New Venue for Friends of a Feather 24 Sep 2011 2:34 PM (13 years ago)

We are so excited to have a new place to open up shop for the Friends of a Feather events! My mom moved recently, and we are turning her charming, vintage 1910 house into a unique venue for our Friends of a Feather sales where we will continually offer beautifully renewed vintage furniture, vintage-inspired home decor, one-of-a-kind finds, and wonderful handmade treasures!

The home is located at 7612 W. 80th Street, near old-town Overland Park, Kansas. The city parking lot located at the corner of 80th Street and Conser is available for easy parking for our events.

Since this is a permanent, indoor location we will be having sales more frequently, every four to six weeks at this wonderful vintage venue!

Mark your calendars for our first event!!!

~ Friday and Saturday ~

October 28th and 29th ~ 9 to 5

Sunday ~ October 30th ~ noon to 4

A Side Trip to the Country 31 Jul 2011 8:54 AM (13 years ago)

My mom and I drove out to the country in south Johnson County, Kansas to find a place called Eclectics recently and discovered a beautiful vintage farm home and several unique outbuildings sitting on a few acres that were filled with a beautiful collection of unique architectural elements, and some of the most unusual antiques! We could not believe the selection of goodies all in one place...

The shed, the barn, a guesthouse, the stables and a chicken coop were filled with all kinds of treasures...

The grounds were absolutely breathtaking when you first pulled into the driveway of the property. It took Mom and I awhile to take it all in...the flower gardens, the pergola, the curving brick pathways, the unique garden art, the entire layout of the property...before we even set foot into the outbuildings where the inventory of antique and architectural treasures were hidden that we could purchase...

I love the color of this gate into the old stables! The owner's cat enjoyed showing us around the property. Needless to say, Mom and I walked away with a few of the found treasures that we now can call our own!

Another Bird Family Moves In... 24 Jul 2011 9:49 AM (13 years ago)

Our courtyard with hanging ferns under the
pergola where a momma and poppa house finch found their home.

Here is Poppa bird overlooking
the courtyard from the nearby redbud tree.

I never imagined when I called our little group of like-minded friends "Friends of a Feather," that I would be able to witness actual "birds of feather" making their homes in my garden courtyard. The courtyard that my husband and I designed in the front of our historic home is a beautiful and serene sanctuary for human and birdlife alike! This is the third family of birds to call our courtyard home (see my cardinals and robins in previous posts.) These little house finches found a special place in one of my hanging ferns under the pergola of our courtyard. They are funny, quirky, high energy little birds who love to "chirp, chirp, chirp!"

What a beautiful Momma!

I was able to catch her in mid-flight,
finding her way to her nest in the hanging fern...

...where her little ones were waiting for breakfast!

The natural beauty of these little birds are breathtaking!

It was so interesting to hear their constant chirpful bird language...
they seemed to be discussing who would go for the next food run.

Poppa was bringing in the next nibbles for their little ones.

Here is Poppa again in the redbud tree, looking down at me...
knowing by now that I am no threat to their babies.

My Beautiful Belle... 16 Jul 2011 10:26 AM (13 years ago)

Just this weekend, we had our beautiful Annabelle Grace, our second grandchild, spend the night...she isn't quite crawling yet, so we still can keep her "maintained" in basically one spot. It won't be long, and she will be as busy as our little buddy Max!

I love this hand shot...so sweet!

She loved checking out the the black-eyed susan's
from my garden courtyard.

How sweet is this...with Grampa BooBo's hand.

She seems to never tire of me snapping photos of her...
it's a good thing, because I won't be stopping anytime too soon!

She loves to share what is left on her highchair
tray with Cooper, our Great Dane.

"Take me for a ride, Lolli!"

She is my Beautiful Belle-girl!

My Little Buddy... 16 Jul 2011 10:01 AM (13 years ago)

My little buddy Max...what a face!! Max is my first grandchild - it is hard to believe that he is now 17 months old. He spent the night last weekend...always so much fun...but also tiring keeping up with this little guy...busy...busy...busy!!!