If you will look back to my previous blog entry titled, "Product Feature - Cottage Indus-Tree Designs" you will see that I featured an amazing company that specializes in using vintage paper goods. WELL, Cottage Indus-Tree was so gracious to offer a limited time offer of 10% off your order when you type in code: OLDSOUL!! The 10% will automatically be taken off at checkout. This offer ends on Tuesday, February 10th, so run over and take advantage of this before time runs out! :) Link to the website is www.cottageindustree.com!
Thanks for stopping by The Old Soul! I hope you all have a fabulous day and night!
Love,
The Old Soul
Monday, February 3, 2014
All You Need Is Love! - Valentines Day Special!
With Valentines Day quickly approaching I thought I'd take some time to give some advice of quick, easy, and affordable ways to decorate for this lovable holiday.
One way to decorate is using vintage Valentines Day cards! You can find these at thrift stores or antique stores. You could also ask older relatives to see if they have held onto any over the years! A way to display these little cuties is with a vintage flower frog. Flower frogs are a flat disk with sharp spikes sticking out from the disk. The purpose of these were to hold the stem of the flowers in place in an arrangement. You can find these at thrift stores and antique markets.
You simply stick the card down in the spikes. Now if you have young children I would suggest keeping these out of reach as the spikes can be quite sharp!
Other ways to decorate can be with using inexpensive materials that you may have around your house! They may not be vintage but they can be just as gorgeous! For example, by taking wax paper, food color, and a iron you can make the most adorable "stained glass" hearts! By using a piece of red, pink, or purple ribbon you can make a gorgeous garland! Here are a few of the ones that I made:
These easy DIY projects are easy to do and are done in no time! Perfect for the mom or dad that doesn't have a lot of time or money to bring a little holiday cheer to their homes!
Steps to making "stained glass" hearts:
1. Place two sheets of wax paper on a surface that won't be harmed by the iron.
2. On one sheet of wax paper, put a few drops pink, purple, and red food color!
3. Place the other sheet of wax paper on top.
4. Using your iron, run it over the wax paper until the two sheets stick together.
5. After the wax paper has dried, then you can cut them into heart shapes!
6. Use a hole punch to make the holes to string them together and bam! You've got an easy, cheap, and adorable Valentines Day garland!
Another SUPER easy way to decorate is by using Valentines Day candies in vintage glass jars to display around the house. Plus, you can snack on them whenever you choose! Here are some examples of how I chose to use Valentines Day candies:
I think I paid $1.00 for the big bag of candies. I found all of the jars in an old run down barn that I went junking in!
Some people may prefer a more elaborate design for their home when it comes to holiday decor, but for me personally I love simply and easy! So I hope that you have found some simply, cute, and inexpensive inspiration through today's blog entry!
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns please feel free to comment below. Also, my email is in the "About Me" section so feel free to email me! I look forward to hearing from you all! Make sure to utilize the Google+ feature and recommend this blog! I thank each and everyone of you for visiting the blog today and I hope you all have a wonderful and love filled Valentines Day!
Happy Thrifting, Y'all!
Love,
The Old Soul
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Product Feature - Cottage Indus-Tree!
Every once in a while I will do a product feature on my current favorite company that utilizes vintage materials. At the top of that list has to be Cottage Indus-Tree Designs! (www.cottageindustree.com)

Cottage Indus-Tree is a small Internet company founded by, Amy Beck of Atlanta, Ga. She started her company in 2003 to make gifts for friends, family, and coworkers. She soon realized that this could be a huge thing! Cottage Indus-Tree was featured in Country Living, Southern Living, and Paula Deen magazine!
Cottage Indus-Tree specializes in vintage paper products. They use vintage wallpaper, books, book pages, etc. I own several of their products, including their signature product, clipboards! Seriously, cutest clipboards ever! The front and backs of the clipboards are decorated in full with vintage wallpaper. The clipboards are manufactured by a company that employs handi-capable people. Cottage Indus-Tree prides itself on recycling, upcycling, and reusing products. So all the while you are getting a great product(with an even greater price tag!) you are lowering your carbon footprint! Cottage Indus-Tree also has a wide array of other products including: flip notebooks garnished with vintage wallpaper, magnetic clips also garnished with vintage wallpaper (also available with collegiate logos!), vintage wallpaper bags (ranging from iPad slips to large duffle style bags!), and much more!
Cottage Indus-Tree introduced a new product to the company in 2012, vintage book journals. I own 3 and I have to say I use them daily! Also, they are one of a kind which makes the experience even better!
Another new product line is their wine stoppers! As if this company didn't ALREADY have enough amazing products they went and created this! I own one and it keeps my Pinot Grigio as fresh as the time I pop the cork! These are garnished with vintage wallpaper as well.
Without giving away Amy's secrets, I was allowed to experience the process of making these wonderful products! I can say first hand that this is quality stuff, people! The intricate detail that goes into each and every product is top notch.
Shipping is a flat-rate fee to anywhere in the continental US, only $6.99 and free shipping on orders over $100.
If you are looking for a great gift for anyone(even the men in your life!) visit Cottage Idus-Tree and place an order today! I promise you will not be disappointed.
I hope y'all have enjoyed my first product feature! Let's join together and support small businesses!
Happy Thrifting!
Love,
The Old Soul
Saturday, February 1, 2014
It's All About The Pyrex
I have been pondering for two days on what my next blog post should be about (because I have so many ideas!). Well, it came to me in the kitchen while I was cooking dinner. One word: Pyrex. Oh the wonderful colors and patterns that filled kitchens of the past. Pyrex is my FAVORITE thing in the world. My aunt, Alison, turned me on to vintage Pyrex years back and since then I've searched high and low for any sign of Pyrex in thrift store, antique stores, and consignment shops. Over the past few years I grew my collection from 2 or 3 pieces to about 35 pieces. They've decorated the top of my cabinets and served as useful tools of the kitchen. I see so many blogs that feature vintage Pyrex simply as a design element and nothing more. And while that is fine and dandy, Pyrex is so much more than that. I bake, mix, and cook in all of my vintage Pyrex! If you take care of it properly you can do this without it showing any wear or tear. NEVER put Pyrex in the dishwasher, this will dull the color and shine of the pieces.
If you grew up in the 40's-70's you experienced the joy of Pyrex. When patterns were bright and vibrant. This is one of the many reasons why I love it, the story. In every vintage piece you obtain there is surely a story behind it, right? While in the kitchen cooking with your vintage Pyrex do you ever catch yourself thinking of who touched this? Or how many meals were prepared in this? I know I sure do! Whether it was a millworker who struggled to bring food home to the socialites who served all their fabulous parties in the latest Pyrex design. Whatever the story is behind these gorgeous pieces of the past, they are still very useful to this very day. I guess what I am trying to say is, don't let your vintage Pyrex collect dust on a shelf or in a cabinet. Whether you bought them at the thrift store or inherited them from your parents/grandparents, put them to use. Don't let their stories stop with you. Build memories and more with these goodies from the past.
Well that was my thrifty advice for the day! I hope you found some inspiration in this posting. And maybe you'll think of the stories that lie within those "old" things in your home.
Much love,
The Old Soul
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Finds of the Day!
Today I hit up one of my all time favorite thrift spots! A little store in my hometown of Hartwell, Ga called Haven of Rest. I am always sure to find great things for even better prices! Plus the staff there is top notch! Haven of Rest is a nonprofit organization here in Northeast Georgia that provides food, clothing, shelter, and financial assistance to women in need. I try to always remember thrift store when beginning my day of hunting vintage goods, not only for the price value but also for the cause they support. It is a great feeling knowing that you are helping those in need all while finding awesome treasures!
Just in one visit I found several awesome vintage goods for super low prices. When I am out and about searching for the next project, decor piece, etc I always try to keep in mind, "how many purposes can this item serve?" I am all for getting cute things just to serve the purpose of decorating but it is always so much fun to me to be able have one thing that can be multipurposed!
One of the first sections I go to at a thrift store is the glassware! Glassware can be a statement piece in any collections all while being useful in our everyday life. Also, instead of paying outrageous prices are big box stores you can get a set of awesome vintage drinking glasses that are unique, cute, and a great value! I recently tried my hand at glass painting. I used Martha Stewart glass paint, stencils, and brushes. They turned out great! It was so much fun adding my touch to vintage drinking glasses. Plus I got a about 20 or so vintage drinking glasses for around $5. Here are a few of my creations:
Other great finds can range anywhere from glassware to vintage lighting!
Hello! $5 a piece and the wiring was in great condition! I do believe I will be returning to buy a few of these lanterns. Also, if you don't want to use them as actual light fixtures repurpose them as candle holders or a simple design element to your mantle!
I am 110% a vintage barware junkie. Go figure. A set of these awesome high ball glasses for $4?! These glasses are sure to spark conversation the next time your friends or family join you for that much needed cocktail hour(s).
Oh hi there, cute vintage serving tray! I love love love this tray. At a price of $10 it can make any coffee table a focal point of the room. And if you have my current obsession, rig it up as wall art! I am a sucker for wall groupings of vintage trays.
Well my little thrifty friends, these were my finds of the day! I hope you enjoyed them and were able to find some inspiration! And always remember that most thrift stores WILL price haggle with you! To me it adds a fun elements to junking! Plus I've gotten out with some even better deals because of it!
Until next time,
The Old Soul
P.s. - leave some comments on what you'd like to get from reading my blog. Open to all ideas! :) or if you'd like a certain vintage item featured!
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Cracked and Weathered
Hi everyone!
So, one of my absolute favorite thrifty finds are vintage pottery. There is Hull, McCoy, and tons more! My personal favorite is McCoy pottery (www.mccoypottery.com). McCoy is a brand of pottery that was produced in the United States in the late 19th and 20th centuries.
There are so many types of McCoy ranging from plain white to decorative cookie jars. McCoy may be a bit difficult to find at a thrift store, as most people know it's worth. But I have always lucked out on great deals at antique stores. I find it funny that growing up I always turned my nose up to the "ugly" pottery that would always adorn the shelves of my great grandmothers home. Had I known then what I know now of my obsession I would have snatched it all up! One of the great things about vintage pottery is the versatility of it. You can use it for anything from a pencil holder on your desk to planting succulents in them. I have noticed(and am guilty of) the trend of using vintage McCoy as a succulent planter. Pictures would be immediately posted of my McCoy succulent gardens if it was the dead of winter and my poor succulents have not yet come back.
I love how vintage pottery can be a staple in any design scheme. Whether they stand alone or in groupings they always draw the eye. They come in a variety of colors, shapes, and designs so feel free to spice up any room with a one!
Happy Thrifting!
Welcome Junkers!
Hi, my name is Daniel Hix. I am a southerner through and through. In this blog I will show you all the tricks of the trade in all things old, vintage, and thrifty! Giving daily tips on how to spice up your decor with vintage finds from junkyards, antique stores, and thrift stores! I have a passion for "old" things that are still to this day fully functional and cute of course. I want to show you how functional doesn't always have to be ordinary. The name of my blog is The Old Soul simply because I feel as though I have been tossed out of a different era. So stick with me as I design on a dime! I won't disappoint! Have a great day!