The day I became a Vintage Junkee.

It was 6 years ago when fell in love at a first sight of an Eames chair. I just loved it's clean lines, sleek body and its mod style that most Mid century pieces have and of course the mid century culture itself. Also an avid diehard fan of the Mad Men series, I got addicted to the mid century craze and became a vintage fanatic.

I slowly got interested in collecting vintage pieces and started going to garage sales in my neighborhood and grab items that caught my eye. But soon, I learned to pick through the piles and see the potential and value of it. This immediately became my passion. To satisfy my vintage junking addiction, I started going to flea markets, estate sales and thrift stores in different NYC boroughs. For me the more disorganized the place, the better the hunt since you do not know what you will find underneath the pile. It could be an original vintage piece or just a glamorous fabrication.

Through the years of picking and buying. I accumulated vintage stuff. A lot of them. Its like a Hoarders: Buried Alive episode waiting to happen. But they are my own personal pieces, pieces that attracts me the most and pieces that I love. I find satisfaction and happiness in a great vintage find and curating them inside my home.

I love milk glasses, mid century wall decors and most of all vintage owls. Some of them are made by  Homco, Sexton , Dart ind etc..

As the pile grew and my storage became smaller . I decided to let go of some of my vintage finds and share it with other vintage junkee like me.

So, I started selling at ETSY. Come and visit my shop and start picking my personal finds here in my little town called  New york city :)

NYCJunkgirlshop

Some Louisiana cooking in Astoria!

When my friend Karen told me about Sugar Freak  in Astoria. She told me right away that I will really love this place since it screams of a mix and podge of anything old, vintage and collectibles. She then send me a link to check it out! She was right it was really in my alley ! Southern food with an eclectic vintage designs setting. Double yummm! 

The place really did not disappoint me. My friend really knows me that well. She knows that I am into vintage and a thrift store/ garage sale, i will say "fanatic"  but whoever knows me that well will say a different thing :)

I arrived early that evening and the restaurant is already busy.  They have out door dining , if you want to do an al fresco style this is also your place. That night the outdoor area was packed already with patrons.

As you enter the place, a non working vintage stove will greet you. It holds their menus and knick knacks that shows the restaurant personality. 

A colorful tin tray was glued to the wall that also holds their menu and a little flair of New Orlean adorn the other part of the wall!You got the mardi gras feel right away!

There were Formica tables and chairs that doesn't match but looks so good together. 

Exposed bricks made the place look cozy but yet classy. You can also see old milk bottles in a crate transformed as the restaurant bar chandelier. Love it!

We ended up in a booth. You will notice right away the hand made special menus that are hanged in a line and was hold by a clothes pin. But what stand out to me is the menu that said Popcorn alligator is back.Ooops, I think I am not ready for that yet :)

So we ordered some Jambalaya which consist of everything southern, it means fried :) From the chicken, oyster, cattle fish and more. Bu we did start with some popcorn okra with spicy ranch dressing on the side. It was really good, I recommend it for you to try it when you visit.The best part was the desert .Give me some of that chocolate bread pudding,please! It was best to share it with a friend so you don't feel guilty after the big meal .

Jambalaya to good enough to share. 

Some chocolate bread pudding. It is much sweeter if
you share it with your friend!

 

Popcorn Okra with spicy ranch dressing on the side.

All I can say that I really enjoyed my first official Louisiana experience and it was only a subway away where I lived! 

Do you have a favorite southern food?

Thrifty yet trendy

It was beautiful sunnny day, it was a good day to go out and explore the neighborhoods. Since the kids were out of school for the winter recess break. I decided to tag them along to my quite addicting hobby , which is thrift shop shopping. Every one was on board and was very excited to the idea. I found this 2 great thrift store in Astoria. What I love about this stores are that they are only a few blocks a way from each other. It was easy for me to walk and go to the next thrift store if ever I did not find any intereresting old or new treasures that I consider a rare find and just a good steal from the rest.

The Goodwill store has been replaced Steinway Thrift Shop.

This goodwill store was newly opened. You can find most of their items brand new and still in there original packages. You can notice that most of their  items came from a major retail store. If your are still looking for those Missoni pumps and maybe some few Missoni items, that cause madness in this store last fall. You might to want to visit this goodwill store. 

Goodwill Steinway Store
32-36 Steinway Street
Astoria, NY 11103
(718) 932-0418

A set of owls ( 3pcs.)  from Crate and Barrell
for $2.99. A Goodwill Store find. These owls are coming back in styles. One of these owls became part of my teen daughter's bag accesories.

Two (2) brand new J. G. Durand France vases at the price  $6.99 each from Macys Department store. They still have the bar codes on them when I found them at the Salvation Army Super Thrift store.

An old candle holder. One of my to- do list this summer is to paint this old candle holder to give it a more modern look. I got this for $1.99 at the Goodwil Thrift Store.

This one is just your old classic typical Thrift store. If you are into a classic, vintage or  old stuff . you might want to come and visit this location. They carry furnitures, electronics and evrything under the sun. Interested in donating big  and bulky items?  Don't worry some thrift store will pick it up for you. To find out if this locations entertains pick-up request and delivery. Call them at the number below.

The Salvation Army Super thrift Store
3402 Steinway Street, Astoria ,NY
tel # 718-422-2414

Do you have a a favorite thrift store in your neighborhood ?