I *heart* The Tinsel Trading Company!

So, for My Style Saturday, I thought I would share one of the odd combinations that I like a lot.  It involves taking very shabby old painted items and pairing them with soft colors, lace, and romantic graphics.

 When this old chest came into the antique mall this week, it was so filthy that it didn't even earn a place in the store, but was left, by the dealer, out in our bone yard.  After a couple of days, I sort of felt sorry for it.

  It had clearly been in someone's garage for many, many years, as it was covered in grease, the kind that accumulates over several years from exhaust fumes collecting on the surface.  Lucky for me he also priced it accordingly, at $5!

 I cleaned it up using oven cleaner, which is an amazing tool for greasy old garage finds!

In a seperate event this week, I ran into a book  called Tinsel Trading Company - Beautiful Bedrooms with Ribbons and Trims.  As I read the book I realized that the store, TTC was the same store that my friend Jenn had saluted as her favorite store in NYC after returning with her theater students last spring.  I remember practically drooling as she talked about the things available at this amazing store.  As a result, I decided to make up an imaginary logo for the store to pay homage, using a deco frame I found at Graphics Fairy. The reverse Modpodge method I love is especially appropriate for an antique and chippy painted patina like this one, because it looks so shabby.

I wallpapered the interior of the box, as it did not clean up as well as the exterior, and then added a sweet cherub, that is one of my favorite Victorian images, also from Graphics Fairy.

Thanks for dropping by.  I hope you have time to check out the Tinsel Trading Company, I don't think you will be disappointed.