Estate Sale Roundup! April 28-May3

April 28, 2015April 29, 2015 ~ mollymathias89 ~ Leave a comment

I’ve spent a lot of time driving 45 minutes to a bum estate sales where I leave smelling like cat pee. You would not believe the amount of houses that smell like cat pee. I have three cats, but I don’t think our house smells like cat pee. Maybe it does and everyone is too nice to say anything.

ANYWAY. This weekly series is here to rescue you from cat pee! and old moth balls. I’ll go through the listed estate sales on estatesales.net and let you know which ones look worth it.

First up, this sale for J&S looks pretty good. It has a lot of oriental stuff and some great mid century pieces that are catching my eye.

I would buy these, then paint white or a bold color. Teal or pink anyone? I just got a new paint sprayer so i’m on the lookout for larger case goods like this to rehab.

I love these little tapestry/art things. I don’t feel very confident in my buying art for resale skills, so I always make sure I buy art that I wouldn’t mind keeping. These would look great on a gallery wall to balance out other photographs and add some texture. Now they could be asking too much money for these, so think hard before scooping up.

I want this lamp hard guys. There are a few things that I see that I regret when I don’t pull the trigger. This will be one of them. I have no need for this, I have no clue what I would do with out, but my life might end without it. I love lamp.

See all those cute ginger jars? I will be buying them. Sometimes they look tacky when you see a picture like this, but take my word for it. You put one of those little guys on a bookshelf, or on a coffee table tray, instant style. You’re welcome. I just made your house look stylish.

Final Verdict: I will probably go to this one the second or third day when discounts start. I have a funny feeling things will be priced high as they listed a lot of stuff as “antiques” so wait a day and then scoop up those deals.

Alright, this next sale has a few interesting prospects.

That china cabinet has such intricate woodwork on the bottom, its dying to be painted white. Now i’m too lazy to figure out a way to move that thing and paint the inside, so I would probably stare at it for ten minutes, and then walk away, only to walk back and stare a few more times, and ultimately, not buy.

Now this cart is interesting. I never shy away from a cart, I wish all my furniture was on wheels. I can’t tell from the picture of that is a vintage cart, or new cart pretending to be vintage. Same goes for that mirror. I hate things pretending to be vintage, but if it’s actual vintage winner winner chicken dinner.

Oh my gosh, these people must love carts as much as I do! This one looks like it might be a weird height, but who are we kidding? I’m gonna buy it and let it be friends with all my other carts.

Final Verdict: Ehhhh, i’m not seeing enough vintage to make it worth.

This next sale is a Mad Men’s super fan dream home! Is it weird i’m starting to get a serious crush on Pete Campbell? I’m digging the whole balding thing. Don’t worry I do feel shame for this.

Ughhhhhh I want that bed so I can pretend to be hungover Betty Draper! Seriously though, this headboard looks pretty big, and it’s really hard to find vintage headboards in a queen or king size. So snatch this up if you are in the market.

This couch recovered would be a dream couch. Just make sure to give it a good sit and test out the padding/foam. That stuff is expensive.

I see you there lamp. Looking all cool, chilling in the corner.

Final Verdict: YES! mid century furniture i love you so much.

That’s all she wrote folks. Kinda slim pickings this week. Go forth and search my friends! I wish upon you happy hunting and houses that don’t smell like cat pee!

Lake Cliff Park

April 26, 2015April 26, 2015 ~ mollymathias89 ~ Leave a comment

This time of year is so beautiful in Dallas. The flowers are blooming, the sun is not trying to melt your face off yet, and everyone is outside enjoying life.

Unfortunately for me, Corey suffers from allergies as many people do. So if I want to go outside and enjoy the weather with him, I have to suffer through sneezing and snotty noses. Corey decided to suck it up enough for a few minutes to take me to Lake Cliff Park.

History lesson time. Lake Cliff park was founded in 1906 unofficially, officially 1914. When it first opened it had an amusement park, water slide, skating rink, three theaters, a casino, and Dallas’s first municipal swimming pool. Back then it was probably THE place to be.

Now it’s a beautiful outdoor space to spend the day. It’s a HUGE park. If it wasn’t for Corey’s allergies and my disdain for sitting on grass, we would be having romantic picnics here every day. There are tables, grills, and lots of large trees to accommodate your picnic needs. There is a lot to discover around this park, so let’s get going!

First we came across a pull up bar! Now I am physically incapable of doing a pull up. My feeble arms can barely hold me up, nevermind actually pull up my whole body. But if you are in such shape, come enjoy a park workout!

Next we find the rose gardens! The rose garden was designed in 1934 and has a really pretty variety of rose bushes. I almost went a little crazy and started pulling all the roses off but then I remembered that is not proper park etiquette. I recommend coming here for a tasteful engagement or prom photo shoot.

Doesn’t that look like something you would find in Paris?!? Just imagine all the Spanish signs are actually in french!

There is actually a ton of flowers all around the park. I recommend going soon before the spiteful Texas sun burns them all to a crisp and leaves everything brown and in danger of bursting into flame at any moment!

There are some random statues/art, so go around and learn something new!

You can live in this building!!!! I’m really dying to go in and take a look around, but I think it’s mostly condo’s these days.

The first thing you see of the park from the road will probably be the giant fountain. I’m guessing you could once swim in it, but I would not recommend that now. Unless dirty trash water is your thing, then go for it. Joking aside, it’s a really impressive pond. Sit like Corey, and enjoy the beautiful water view!

What park would be complete without a playground?! This one comes in the theme of “Go America!”

And finally, we have the natural/wildflower area. Or more commonly known as, wild snake pit. I hate hate hate snakes, so I remained a safe distance away.

Lake Cliff Park is a bright spot on the Dallas landscape. In a city so lacking in green space, its refreshing to have this spot just a few minutes from my house.

I Rode the Oak Cliff Street Car!

April 17, 2015April 17, 2015 ~ mollymathias89 ~ Leave a comment

I moved to Oak Cliff a little over two years ago. Since then, the street car has been on my mind. While there are plenty of public transportation options in Oak Cliff (trains, buses, and the D-link) Street cars are just way more fun, so I was pretty excited when it finally had its maiden voyage this week.

I decided to take a ride since the hop on point is only a quick five minute walk from my house. Problem number one is pretty apparent right away. Its hop on point is in a terrible spot. There are so many pretty places in Oak Cliff, it’s a shame they chose the corner which houses a Walgreens and is also one of the busiest intersections. I suppose if you want to walk to Jonathan’s, VH, or Spirals Diner, it’s a pretty quick 5-7 minute walk. If you want to get to Bishop Arts you are looking at a 12-15 minute walk. I walk around Oak Cliff all the time, but I know a lot of people are not that comfortable with it, and having the street car stop at a busy intersection will not improve people’s comfort levels.

Now the street car only runs during the week, from morning til 7pm. I don’t get it either. I’m still not sure what exactly the whole point of it is, and who their target market is, but hey, having a street car makes us sound cooler.

The street car itself is a modern, clean little pod. It still has that new public transportation smell (is that a thing?) so ride it now before some little kid throws up on it!

The ride to downtown is pretty quick, going over a small bridge, and stopping at Union Station. That was the first time I’ve been to Union Station since my high school prom, so I was having some seriously depressing flashbacks. I did not peak in High School, that’s for sure.

Once I got off the trolley, sorry street car (I desperately want this to be an old timey trolley) I walked around downtown enjoying the view. From Union Station you have easy access to the public library and can get to Dealey Plaza in about five minutes. One of these days I will go to the 5^th floor museum, I promise.

I passed by the Lawrence Hotel on my way back, which I refuse to go into because it is THAT creepy. Right next door though is a little slice of heaven known as Cindi’s Deli. I love carbs. Like I want to marry cereal, then divorce it, then marry cake, then divorce it, then marry a plate of pasta, etc. Cindy’s has the BEST bagels I have found in Dallas. I admit I haven’t looked that hard, because if I did I would weigh 300 lbs. eating all the bagels.

You get a pretty sweet view of the Trinity River while riding over the bridge on the street car. I still don’t believe my Mom when she says that the trinity used to flood and cover the highway. Literally impossible, refuse to believe.

All in all, if you have two random hours to spare in the middle of the week, give it a try! I love when Oak Cliff gets more connected to the rest of Dallas, and this is a step in the right direction. They have plans to expand the street car to go all the way to Bishop Arts, so keep you eyes peeled!

Three Small Decorating Accessories I’m Loving Right now

April 11, 2015April 12, 2015 ~ mollymathias89 ~ Leave a comment

These days it seems like it’s all about the little things. All the decor mags are publishing cute little vignettes all around the house. You need accessories for your bookshelves, coffee tables, bar carts, china cabinets, credenzas, etc. That’s a lot of little stuff! One of my favorite layering accessories is brass. I LOVE BRASS. I love that it’s shiny and makes anything look super fancy. Brass fingers? yes I will have you. Brass baby sculpture? Give me that now. Large brass Victorian boot? I WILL GIVE YOU ALL MY MONEY. Corey doesn’t get my fascination, but who makes the decisions around here anyways?

I got this fabulous boot at an estate sale a few weeks ago. The woman that owned this house was really into Parisian flair. I spotted this boot across the room, quickly shuffled over, and cradled it like a baby. I whispered sweet nothings to it until I saw the price tag of $25. Yes I love brass, but I am also a rational human being.

I slowly put it back while weeping silently. I must have been causing quite a commotion, because a sale worker came over and offered it to me for $5. So naturally my sad tears changed to happy tears and now I can cuddle and whisper sweet nothings to my boot whenever I want.

I paired the boot here with a geode picture holder (SO GOOD) holding the cutest little picture of my husband that has ever been taken. Look at that little suit and bow tie!!!!! My second favorite accessory of the moment is pottery. Each piece is different and provides great texture and color to any space.

If I see any pottery at a sale, I buy. I buy all the pottery. These two have great colors and I love the shape of the tall blue one. I can use it as a vase for some small cool flowers, or just layer into my bookshelf as is.

There are all kinds of shapes and colors out there, so keep your eyes peeled and start your collection NOW! My third favorite accessory right now is vintage cocktail glasses. If you have a bar or bar cart you NEED cool glasses. And if you don’t have a bar, then what are you doing with your life? Even if you don’t drink, you can come home from work and pretend to be Betty Draper while sipping some cucumber water from a fancy glass with geisha’s on it.

I am so guilty of buying any cool cocktail glasses I see. Just right now in my possession, I have glasses with mushrooms, bamboo glasses, and watermelon ombre glasses. I can’t have enough. They add such a fun spirit to your room, and can display your personality immediately.

These glasses have images of Geisha’s on them and are the perfect size for a rock and a splash of whiskey. Do I sound classy yet? Sure I am usually drinking wine from a plastic cup, but at least I have pretty glasses on my bar cart! Just keep your eyes open at those estate sales. Search through those gross kitchen cabinets and you too can start an unnecessary collection of vintage cocktail glasses! Never skimp on accessories throughout your home. They add personality to your home in small ways with big impact!

The Dallas Flea

March 15, 2015March 16, 2015 ~ mollymathias89 ~ 1 Comment

The Dallas Flea was one week ago, which seems like a good time to reflect. This year the sale was at a new location, in Trinity Groves. This location, while having its drawbacks, was much more convenient and roomy than the South Side on Lamar Building. The aisles were bigger and the space allowed for a TON more vendors. Parking was a mess, but Dallas parking is always a mess.

I think each time we go to The Dallas Flea we improve and learn. One thing I need to get better at is creating height and styling. It’s very hard when you have furniture, because the booth changes every time. I can’t make too much of a plan beforehand because I don’t know exactly what we will be bringing each time. Creating height is hard as well; I don’t want to stack furniture too much.

The actual event was a great success. There were so many people it felt overwhelming at times, but I got a lot of great feedback from customers. Again the customers thought our prices were great and they LOVED our French bird chairs.

We only had three items that didn’t sell, the antique dresser; I knew that would be a hard sell, its large and a very particular style. The bed didn’t sell, even though everyone loved it. I knew this one would also be hard sale because it’s a full size. There are very few antique queen beds out there because people didn’t have large beds back in the day. I’m hoping it will sell over craigslist or Facebook. The floral ottoman didn’t sell which surprised me a lot. I recovered it from the white/black/blue fabric it was before to make it more palatable. I think I might have priced it too high. Hopefully next time

We learned a lot this time and at the next Dallas Flea we are going to focus on more chairs, singles rather than pairs and of course more carts. We are pretty much out of bar carts at this point so time to stock up!

Overall, this Dallas Flea was such a great success and so fun, can’t wait until the next one. If you are interested in purchasing one of the items I mentioned above, check out or Facebook or our Etsy page for home accessories.

PS. Here is a list of my other favorite vendors:

SK Home– they were right next door to us and were selling really beautiful home accessories. I have seen other vendors selling the geode covered things, but SK home’s accessories are really great quality

Steampunk Ballroom – They always bring new interesting things to each show and I love taking a peek at what they came up with this time

Bows and Arrows – I have seen their shop the many times I go to Jimmy’s food store in East Dallas. It was great to actually see their buds, and boy are they beautiful. I saw them making lovely handpick bouquets and wish I had time to shop and get one for myself.

Hellow World, its me! Molly!

February 11, 2015February 18, 2015 ~ mollymathias89 ~ 1 Comment

Writing my first blog post is daunting. What do I write about? I guess I’ll start tell you a little bit about me and what you will find on this blog and why you should bookmark it and read it everyday while you are drinking a hot cup of coffee.

I live in the great city of Dallas! I can see the Ball from my bedroom window if I squint through the trees really hard so that’s pretty cool I guess.

This blog will have EVERYTHING!!! just kidding. I am only one person you guys.

Me and my mom started a small business about 1.5 years ago. We find cool furniture and accessories and update to make it great! We currently only sell online or at vintage markets, but one day I hope to have my very own store. That’s what most of the posts will be about. Me and my mom living the dream, sifting through musty old stuff and making it shine again!

Please enjoy!

-Molly