Bigger isn't better.....

Bigger isn't better when it came down to estate sales on Friday. There were several large advertised sales which I had no time for. I opted to hit a couple of "family estate sales" that were on my way to work. These sales were small but filled with lots of inexpensive treasures and a few fabulous finds...... Vintage 60's sad-eye girl print. Two old Christmas window wreaths with the original boxes.
LustroWare kitchen storage boxes in original plastic wrap. Glove forms for drying vintage gloves. A very cute dancing clown music box. And....FREE vintage gift wrap!

English teacups/saucers. Art Deco vanity mirror and powder box. Art glass paperweight. A flock of vintage ceramic and glass birds. Vintage hankies and linens. A ceramic clown bottle.

Vintage luggage. Old 50's mechanics books. Fabulous 1940's copper and brass trophies.

Retro desk knick-knacks. Two 1930's era paintings....... Mt. Hood and The Gorge.

A fantastic four-piece vintage 40's kitchen bowl set in great shape/ awesome colors.

Not bad for 20 minutes of "huntin and diggin".

What's in the nooks & crannies....

The shop is full of interesting merchandise right now. Inside and outside.....every nook and crannie is full of fun stuff. Here's a short tour:

Wonderful pottery in all shapes, styles, and colors. A really great "Pacific Coast" vintage sign.

Two vintage bird motif framed art pieces. These are created from real feathers and they are in perfect condition. These are larger and better quality than the smaller ones I often see.

A couple of shabby white rattan chairs. Just add some vintage fabric pillows and they would be a stunner on the front porch or sunroom.

A very cool 1920's framed print featuring an alluring and mysterious lady. The gold mirror has "art nouveau" details and will fit a small space.

Old typewriters, telephones, luggage, and travel items.

All items are in the shop and available to take home today!

Wheelin' and Dealin'

Last week was a whirlwind of 'wheelin and dealin'. I sold the cool vintage travel trailer to the first person that looked at it. Plus I had about 8-10 parties lined up that wanted it. I wish I had about 5 of these to sell!

We have been "re-doing" a bedroom in our house. We decided to ditch our old futon and replace it with a loveseat that looked more mid-century. I listed this very nice solid wood futon on Craiglist and sold it to the very first gal that looked at it! We had a little cash in our pockets.....so we ventured out to Ikea to look for a loveseat. I wanted something plain and kinda 1950's. We found this one but with the cover we wanted it was almost $500 bucks....dang it. The cheaper Ikea sofas and loveseats looked like bad dollhouse furniture.....so we decided to wait and maybe save up some $ and get the one we REALLY wanted. The next day I was cruising around on Craigslist and found this exact Ikea loveseat for one fourth of the price. It had a brown cover but that's ok since we would want to put a new cover on any "used" piece of furniture we got. I went out to look at the (amazingly fresh & clean) loveseat and before you can say "good deal"....it was in the back of the pickup. We bought a brand new retro nubby green cover.... and voila! A clean perfect new loveseat for $100 + our futon money. It even looks great with the tropical barkcloth pillows we were using in the "old room" decorating plan.

So how's that for a week of deals and finds!

Vintage Travel Trailer is now for sale!

The great little travel trailer I mentioned in a previous post is now up for sale.
This is a 1966 Aristocrat LoLiner. 14 feet and 1300 lbs. Easy to tow with a small truck, van, or suv. Clean trailer ready for a cosmetic makeover. Has stove, sink, and lots of storage. Ready to tow and has good tires and electrical. A super deal at $900 or best offer. Portland Oregon area.
Interested parties can contact me at: wspencer35@comcast.net

This vintage cutie justs needs your creative touch to make it a true retro gem!

What a fun project for the vintage and nostalgia crowd........

One amazing dinette set

This fantastic 50's chrome dining set arrived in the shop today. Fabulous colors and details on this original, vintage gem. Unusually fancy chrome details and extra special chair fabric add up to one awesome dining set. In the shop right now and priced at a low $300 bucks!
Hurry......this one won't last long!

The most polite "no smoking" sign....

Recent arrivals at the shop include the most polite "No Smoking" sign I've ever seen. This sweet sign is tile with metal trim. Flowers and birds remind visitors to snuff out those disgusting tobacco bombs when they enter the premises.

Wonderful shabby stool with 50's nubby cloth seat. I love the mint green wood with the pink vintage fabric. This item is perfect just the way I found it!

Everyone knows someone who had a "Gremlin" car in the 70's or 80's. This is the car that my partner Steven had when we first met. It was purple with a black vinyl interior. I wish we still had it.......collector's item!

A group of cool 60's tourist plates including several excellent Seattle World's Fair items.

A sweet flocked deer and "deer crossing" sign. Sneak the baby deer into someone's garden and see what happens! They may call the state wildlife division!

Do you ever have a day like this?

Feeling stressed? Having a bad day? Is the family driving you crazy?

Why not take a break and go see a movie. Sit back, relax and enjoy yourself. You deserve it!

See video below...

Have a carefree day!

New "Vintage" Linens & Tabletop

Recent arrivals to the Rita Deco Shop include these fabulous towels, pillows, and tabletop items.

The teapot design is set of (4) nifty placemats. These are plastic coated and would be great for the breakfast table or picnic table.


The Hawaii design is a large tea towel which can be used as a towel or fabric centerpiece. Perfect for creating a 50's retro table design.

This vintage Oregon map design comes in a tea towel and a pillow.

Very sweet "coffee-time" retro inspired flour sack towel. I washed and pressed one of these......they launder great and look fabulous when hung in the kitchen.

This is the Washington state style.......tea towel or pillow.

This is the "Vacationland" pillow. Nice quality and has zipper/removable cover.

All of these items are very smartly priced and available now in the shop. The quality is great and they make wonderful gifts...!

Hobo Pie Irons

Hobo Pie Irons are the newest attraction at our summer campsite. Pie irons have been around for decades but we just recently got interested in adding them to camping menu options. These campfire cooking devices are cast iron with metal arms and wooden handles. You can cook a variety of "sandwich style" toasted goodies. We had breakfast pies.....ham & cheese, egg & sausage, etc. Plus you can do "dessert pies".....bread with fruit filling.
The process goes like this: you get a good hot fire going. Put your pie iron on the grill to warm it. Then make your sandwich and get it ready. Take the iron off the heat and open it up. Spray some Pam on both sides of the opened iron. Put your sandwich inside and close the pie iron. Put it on a hot spot over the fire. Turn about every 1-2 minutes. Check the sandwich after about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat when toasted.

Our camping buddy Patty tried a variation on the sandwich using a toaster waffle. She filled the waffle with nutella and cherry pie filling then toasted until crispy brown.

Watch the video (below) to see a delicious waffle prepared in a hobo pie iron!

Hobo Pie Irons are available from several outdoor stores. I would recommend buying a quality iron (Rome Company) and don't get the cheap Walmart versions. Be careful while using them because they get REALLY hot. Supervise children and drunk adults when using the pie irons around the fire. Hobo Pie Irons are alot of fun and the pies are delicious....!

New arrivals.....and one BIG arrival!

New arrivals to the shop include: vintage Coleman coolers and water jugs. Old picnic baskets & dishes. Vintage camping stools. Old real western horseshoes (great for decorating).

Great early 60's typewriter in carry case......excellent condition!

Dolls, trolls, Mattel, Barbie & misc. vintage toys....

Very nice metal/enamel Art Deco smokestand. Includes several accessories. Great green color.

And finally......how about a 1966 Aristocrat LoLiner travel trailer....!

I picked this trailer up to resell it. Great retro design inside & out. This unit will be ready to

sell in a few weeks. It's 14ft, lightweight, and easy to tow. This trailer is very similiar to my '64 trailer which I've restored and use for camping and vacations.

The trailer I will be selling is a great "fixer-upper" and it will be less than $1000.

I will post more pics when I get closer to selling it.

Stay tuned!