From the Etsy Files...

*Mandy's note: Even though this is being posted late, I've kept it at its originally scheduled date because it helps me to keep track of them easier that way. Weird, I'm sure, but that's me. Back to your regularly scheduled (by regularly scheduled I mean late LOL) posting!*

So today we tackle the land of Etsy. Where to-do lists and daily routines go to die. lol My Etsy addiction has taken a backseat to Pinterest for the past couple of months, but I worry more than a little that by indulging it for this post, I'll awaken the monster again. I know it sounds like I'm being dramatic but seriously. I've easily given hours of what should have been productive, busy days to this website. I didn't even mean to, I just couldn't stop once I'd started. It's awful. But now that I'm done bellyaching, let's get started!

Blue Japanese Sake Set with Bamboo Motif, $19.95

I'm not sure that this qualifies as vintage, but I really like how this was designed. It reminds me of embossing, which I'm a big fan of. I love the color and how the paint was applied. It makes the motif stand out much more that way and makes the set overall look more distinctive. I've never had sake  before but I wouldn't mind trying it, if only so I have an excuse to purchase this set. All of the reviews are from satisfied customers, which is another plus. This sake set was made by VintageLandingAZ. 

Vintage Gilt French Floor Lamp w/Crystals & Silk
Damask Shade, $395

Couldn't you plotz over this lamp? Seller thequeensstuff has this listed along with a bunch of other elegant French antiques and goodies. As the title says, the lamp boasts a silk damask shade that (if this is an original piece) is in stellar condition, crystals hanging off of an ornate-detailed base and satin ribbon trim. I would love...LOVE...to have this beaut sitting in my walk-in or bedroom. It's so delicate, I love the shade of gold on the base, and the detailing down the length of the base and where the crystals hang is stunning. 

Vintage French Velvet-Cushioned Chair w/Ornate Roses,
$399

I try not to feature the same shop more than once within a post, but I couldn't help it. I'm serious, please go check out thequeensstuff; if you like vintage French furniture or antiques you'll fall in love. Another thing that I like about this shop is how the photographs are styled. The room that the furniture is photographed in is equally stylish, and the item for sale fits in with the rest of the room's design, rather than being in a room by itself. Maybe that's dumb of me, but I think it adds on to the appeal and gives the potential buyer some inspiration on how to best style it if they purchased it. It's a simple chair, but it still gives off a luxurious feel and I love that colors are more neutral and sedate.

14kt Floral Locket Necklace, $28

I feel like I've included a locket in a Files post before, but I can't remember so I decided to post this one when I saw it. lol This locket for sale in FreshyFig's shop is from the '60s and I really like the paisley detailing. I like that it's circular shaped rather than heart-shaped; I have the hardest time cutting out photos to fit in the latter without giving someone an accidental widow's peak. LOL The locket is in good shape, I didn't see any rusting or damage to either the interior or exterior, and it's larger than the usual heart lockets. The price is pretty sweet too for a piece that's nearly 60 years old.  

Steampunk Aviator-Style Goggles, $24.99

As I've said multiple times (and you saw in the Amazon post), steampunk is one of my many obsessions. It combines some of my favorite things--Victorian fashion, fantasy, machinery--in such a captivating way. It just draws me right in. It's creative, it's different, it's obviously inspired, and even though it was created for one era, it's not closed off to the idea of originality. It wouldn't be hard to take the steampunk concept and somehow make it your own creation, and I love that. That brings me to these goggles that I found in UmbrellaLaboratory's shop. Goggles are already a large signature accessory of steampunk fashion, but I just love the smaller addition to the right lens. I love the color combination between the lens frame color and the headstrap as well. 

Cream Victorian Parlor Sofa, $595

This Victorian parlor sofa from AphroditesAntiques is listed as being created from around 1901 to 1909, and for a sofa that's over 100 years old, it's not in bad shape at all. It could certainly use a good steam clean and I'd probably replace the inner cushion since it looks a little flat, but otherwise it looks great. The price isn't bad either. I'm not sure where I'd put this. It's a beautiful piece so obviously you'd want everyone to see it, but at the same time you don't want to subject it to too much wear and tear. The detailing is simple and suits the cream color of the rest of the sofa, which is another thing that I like. My only real concern is the inner cushion; I've heard before that older sofas tend to be a little uncomfortable due to thin cushions and stuffing. Do any of you have older furniture in your home? How do they hold up?

Steampunk Black Lace High Collar Necklace, $79

This high collar necklace piece by WhiteLotusCouture is gorgeous. It too is inspired by Victorian and steampunk fashion, and even though I find it to be amazeballs in every conceivable way, I wonder how does one wear or style this? Is it meant to be sewn onto an existing garment, created as part of a new garment, or can you wear this with an appropriate outfit as a genuine necklace? I'm really loving how the black lace looks; I don't know that it would look quite the same with a different colored lace. The pearl chains dangling off the sides suit the necklace well too. I'd totally wear this necklace by itself with some hot pants and go to the club. LOL I kid. The model in one of these really is topless with it on, though, so if she can do it then so can I. Seriously though...how do you wear this? lol

Victorian Solid Brass Mirror with
Fleur de Lis Accents, $2,000

Orter deserves a medal to me for being able to acquire this antique. The mirror is a genuine Victorian piece, and the brass is real--all 32lbs. of it! Fleur de Lis accents decorate the sides, and a cherub adorns the top. I'd be so scared to own something like this; 32 lbs. of real brass from over a century ago. I'm ridiculously clumsy and in addition to my ongoing relationship with the floor, sometimes I have occasional flings with walls and nearby pieces of furniture on my way to the floor. LOL I'd be terrified to lose my balance anywhere near this thing. And its sad that I think of "Can I fall and possibly break this?" with just about any piece of furniture, but this is such a precious piece that I can't help but think about it. Some of us just aren't meant to have nice things, I guess. lol So even though I would LOVE the bragging rights that come with owning something like this beaut, it's not a good fit for the 24/7 accident that is my life.

Vintage/Boho-Inspired Cream Lace Mermaid-Cut Wedding Gown, $745

With wedding season apparently rushing up on us with the speed of a jet-powered train, I figure it's not too early to show off a wedding dress I came across earlier. It's unique but beautiful, it's simple while still undeniably being a wedding dress, and the mermaid cut suits the type of dress that it is perfectly. The seller, MuseClothing, suggests that this would be a good dress for a beach wedding and I agree, but it would also be good for a garden wedding. The low back is stunning, and I like that you can push the sleeves off your shoulders if you so choose. Not really the marrying kind anymore, but I'd consider it briefly so I could wear this dress for a few minutes. lol 

1950s Party Circle Skirt with Black Tulle Overlay and Rhinestone Accents,
$235

What's strange about this NOIROHIOVINTAGE skirt is that normally I probably wouldn't have looked twice at it. I like the skirt, love circle and midi-style skirts, but I'm not big on tulle overlays. What did it for me, what kept this skirt stuck in my head, was how it was styled and modeled. I'm of the stale opinion that you can modernize pretty much any vintage midi or circle skirt with a crop top LOL, but I like how this was done with a simple tee and pointed ankle-strap heels. It's festive and eye-catching by itself, so the rest of the outfit can afford to be simple. I wonder how it would look on someone shorter like myself; would it overwhelm my barely-existent torso, or would it look as cute on me as it does in the shop photo?

Victorian Barrel Chair, $1,395

One of my goals is to find a really cozy chair that I can push into a corner and spend a day...or three...reading in. I think this barrel chair for sale by ModernVintageMixHome fits the bill nicely. It has a huge seat, so even with the shorter legs my own stems probably wouldn't touch the ground. It has low arms but a comfortable-looking cushioned back, and I like how it's designed. I'm not very crazy about the color of the cushions, but I do like the finish of the wood and the way the green and brown contrast together is very nice. If this is a genuine piece (I usually can't tell unless the seller says it specifically lol), all cheap tendencies aside, the price is worth it. 

1940's Gold Filigree 3pc. Vanity Set, $65

And finally, this three piece toiletry set for the vanity from LitttleBits is the entire business. I don't just want these in my life; I need them. lol I'd probably repurpose them and use them as makeup brush holders because I don't have any makeup products that fit the size of the two holders on the sides, but I think they'd still look fine that way. I used to see sets like these along with the metal hairbrush sets in the old black and whites when I was a kid, and even though I didn't like old movies back then, I thought they were the prettiest, fanciest things I'd ever seen and I wanted them so bad. Two decades later, nothing's changed. LOL

I know I added a couple of extras to this list, but oh well. They were good extras. lol Looking back through it now, this was a Victorian-heavy entry but it was fun. It never gets old finding genuine antiques. I'm not used to it so every time I find one, it's exciting for me. lol Anywho, now I'm all caught up on Files for the month. I'm going to try and crank this month's Vintage Spotlight out sometime this weekend so I can get out and enjoy some of this beautiful weather we've been having. How's the weather in your neck of the woods? See you in a couple of days!