Beehive Tea Room

This afternoon we are having a ladie's lunch with my daughters, sister and niece at the Beehive Tea Room in downtown Salt Lake City. Won't you join us?
The Beehive Tea Room serves loose-leaf teas, italian sodas, hot chocolate, tea smoothies, sandwiches, soups, salads, scones and pastries. The Beehive has an atmosphere one might find in a tea room in Europe or New York City. The decor is an ecclectic mix of vintage and second hand furniture all skillfully put together by owner Lisa Brady.



Lunch was just scrumptious!
Delicous food, cozy atmosphere and fabulous decor. If you find yourself in downtown Salt Lake City, be sure to stop by for a spot of tea.

Thanks for joining me, ladies.

Estate Sale 101

Weekends are a busy time for us at Second Hand Chic. It's when we go out searching for merchandise for our shop. Estate Sales are a great source for finding antiques and vintage items. Estate Sales are open to the public and are usually listed in the newspaper classified section. They differ from a garage or yard sale in that the entire contents of the home is for sale. A-1 Estate Services usually holds several sales throughout the year. Their prices are very reasonable and on the last day of the sale all merchandies is half off.

It's a good idea to arrive early and bring your own box like this smart shopper.

This home belonged to an elderly woman so there were lots of beautiful antiques, china, linens, pretty paintings, gilded mirrors and some fabulous religous icons.

This lovely chair sold for only $75!

This china cabinet was originally listed at $450 so on half off day it would have been a steal at $225.

I found this wonderful sofa in the basement for only $100. Sadly we couldn't get it out the basement door so I had to leave it behind.

I always run into my friend Michael shopping for his business Now & Again here in Salt Lake City. He's always willing to mug for the camera. "I've got to finish my ironing before my diet pills wear off!"

Emily loves to buy vintage clothing at estate sales. But remember to try items on before buying as all sales are final.

Poopsie has a knack for finding "mantiques".

Patrick of A-1 Estate Services is on hand to add up your purchases with his usual speed and efficiency.

But the ultimate score of this event was not in the house. As I was rooting through the garage I noticed the adjacent property had some old farm buildings that were being demolished. Of course I mosied over there, since I can't resist an old decrepit farm building. After chatting with the owners of the property I learned the old building was used as a chicken coop at one time.
They let me go in and take a look and I found this fabu old metal locker. I offered to buy it from them but they said, "Oh that old thing...you can just have it".

Fun day at the estate sale!

Love, Kelly

Pet Portraits by Toni Youngblood

I wanted to share with you the completed portrait of my little Bumbee. It was done by Toni Youngblood, a very talented artist here in Salt Lake City. I am just so excited about the finished painting. Toni has truly captured Bumbee's personality. I will have the painting on display in the shop for a while before I take it home so you can come in and check it out.

If you are interested in having a portrait done of your pet check out Toni's blog Wallmarks.

Love, Kelly

Let's Hear it for the Boys

Inspired by Sue of the fabulous blog, "Vintage Rescue Squad", I've decided to devote this post to all things manly. Since Poopsie often accompanies me to estate sales I usually buy him a little something to reward him for all the heavy lifting he does. He usually makes a b-line to the shed or basement in search of that unique treasure with a distinctly masculine flair.

Here is just a sampling of some of the "mantiques" Poopsie has collected over the years.....

Since he's a welder by trade this informative pamphlet caught his eye.
There is a definite Western theme evident in Poopsie's finds.
Here's a personal favorite. A 1950 auto dealership calender with this too adorable cowgirl and her horse. He found this one stashed in a scary spider-infested basement closet that I was not brave enough to dig through. Great find, Poopsie!
More Western memorabilia...
Remember the old Avon bottles? If you're lucky, they still have the cologne inside so you can smell like a man.
Quite often men are drawn to items they may have had as a child, when life was simple and uncomplicated. Like these tiny totem poles, little metal cars or a beloved collection of marbles.
But the ultimate in manly collectables would have to be the "girly" magazines....always a favorite with the dudes. These are normally found out back in the the shed or garage (man cave). And all these years you thought that grandpa was out there working on the Buick. TeeHee.

Love, Kelly

New Dress a Day

Thanks to the miracle of FaceBook I stumbled across this blog: New Dress a Day. Marissa Lynch has a knack for upcycling unattractive frocks into spiffy new outfits. Inspired by the movie "Julie & Julia" she decided to blog about her transformations. Her goal: 365 Days. 365 Dresses. 365 Dollars. Marissa finds ugly dresses at garage sales and thrift stores and with a little imagination and some sweet sewing skills they become stylish fashion statements.

Such a clever girl.

Love, Kelly

New Fall Fashions

New Fall Fashions are arriving at Second Hand Chic....
In addition to apparel we also are receiving some fabulous accessories to complete your look: hats, scarves, jewelry, belts, shoes and handbags.





Summer's almost over, do you know what you'll be wearing this Fall?

Love, Kelly

Our First Egg!

....and there was much rejoicing in the land.

Love, Kelly

Craft Lake City

Do you love craft fairs but feel that you always find the same old stuff? Well, that is definately not the case with Craft Lake City! This unique event is modeled after alternative national craft festivals like Bazaar Bizarre and Renegade Craft Festival.

The event takes place this Saturday, August 14 at The Gallivan Center in downtown Salt Lake City. Hours are 2 to 9 pm and admission is free. There will also be live music and local food vendors.

For more info on the festival check out their website: craftlakecity.com

Love, Kelly

Broody Hen

Isn't it curious how so much human behavior is attributed to chickens? There are numerous colloquialisms in the English language that come to mind: "clucking like hens", "feeling cooped up", "the pecking order", "hen-pecked", "ruling the roost" and my personal although obscure favorite, "scarce as hen's teeth". Well today one of our Rhode Island Reds separated herself from the flock, dug a hole in the straw and has begun "brooding". From what I understand, this behavior should soon lead to some egg production.
I have to admit, from time to time I feel a bit "broody" myself but I usually deal with it by sitting on the couch with a pint of Ben & Jerry's and an old movie. But really, these chickens need to start earning their keep and besides that, we need the eggs!

Sunday Outdoor Antique Market

Today I went downtown to check out the Sunday Outdoor Antique Market at Capital City Antiques Mall. There was lots of eye candy for the feasting. Here's a sampling:



And speaking of Cowboys and Indians...
I ran into my favorite gay caballero. Michael Saunders, owner of Now & Again, a fabulous consignment shop in Salt Lake City. Michael loves the camera and the camera loves him.

Here's Monica Zoltanski, owner of Capital City Antiques Mall. Be sure to check out her Facebook page. And don't forget...Sunday, September 12 is the final Outdoor Market.