Meet Christa, the Vintage Huntress of Rhett Didn't Give A Damn!

Meet Christa, the Vintage Huntress of Rhett Didn't Give A Damn!

Interview extracted from JeannieRichard's Blog

What makes a house a home?
Personally, its all the lovely decorations, ornaments, sentimental objects of affection that make your house your home, sweet home. :)

Spanning one's eyes across the house, one would see all kinds of objects that would simply make a statement - 'This is my family, we are all different but we all come together as a family to create an eclectic yet beautiful fusion of personalities presented by all the home decor!'
The aged stories of  each object that sit in the home since time in memorial traveling from one memory to another and another.
Simply by looking at certain objects in the house, one's memories would be aroused and find themselves reminiscing, 'I remember when we was young, mom would always use this set for Christmas.' or, 'I remember when we were kids, we would help dad polish this old eagle.'

These sentimental home objects of affections would undoubtedly become a vintage find to someone many years later - be it a stranger or another family member. Reborn due to a keen eye of an individual who saw its beauty - the vintage treasure hunter!
But do not be mistaken that just about anybody can be an aficionado of vintage hunting.
These are special individuals who have that special sight to see the spark still shining within a dusty old teapot, or a dirty set of glassware, or a lovely dining set of milkglass.

We have been most fortunate to be acquainted with just such a special sight individual - Christa of Rhett Didn't Give A Damn :)
Yes, just by her shop name it tells one of how characteristic her finds are!
Thankfully for Christa, these beautiful items find themselves once again held by another, emotionally felt by another, telling its beautiful story to another, continuing its new life in another.

~ ♥ ~

JR: When did you start feeling passionate about vintage articles?
Christa: It didn't happen overnight. I think it was in the fourth grade that I became aware of environmental issues caused by mass production and the ramifications of that. Later, I learned about slave labor, forced labor and so on. In my 20's I began to actively seek out used items as opposed to new things. And in the past year I've relished in being able to supply good vintage to those in want.

~ Sweet Pink Heart Jello Mold for Valentine's Day! ~

JR: When you go vintage hunting, what is it about a vintage item that attracts you to it, so much so that you believe it would make a good second life in another's home?
Christa: Everything you add to your life ought to enhance your joy somehow. With that in mind, I look for beautiful, well constructed, built to last and well-loved items. Things were once so well constructed that they'd last for years and be passed down through generations with pride. My job, as a vintage picker, is to find these pieces and place them in good hands.

~ Pink Tea Cups for the lovebirds! ~

JR: In today's mass consumer of mostly 'made in China' products, what are your opinions and beliefs with regards to 'made in America' products?
Christa: Anything mass produced anywhere carries with it negative connotations for me. There are just too many “things” in the world and no signs of production slowing down any time soon. And worse, greed of companies and demand of consumers helps to drive the abuse of human beings. This happens everywhere in the world. I'd recommend this video www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/ to absolutely everyone. And while it seems impossible to avoid contributing to the problem here, there are some things we can do - including reusing some of the “things” in the world instead of going out and buying new, unused items. And when you do need something brand new, definitely consider something handmade with love over something mass produced under duress.

~ Beautiful Silver Swan Planter by Elynor China ~

JR: Are there any particular favorite 'vintage' brands you personally love?
Christa: You know, I've never been a fan of any particular brands. Mostly, I base my purchases on two things – quality of build and aesthetic beauty.

JR: As a vintage seller, what are the challenges that you have to deal with?
Christa: Well, there's always the issue of finding things. And as people become more and more in want of vintage, it gets harder! But this is a good problem to have and means people are seeing the value of those products already in existence and not reaching so much for the big store shelves.

~ Thunderbird Matchbox for the little boy in your man! ~

JR: Vintage is a thick market, what do you do for your buyers to make an indelible impression with them?
Christa: Good customer service. I want my buyers to feel taken care of every step of the way – from browsing, to purchase, to opening the package when it arrives.

JR: A home without a piece of vintage item is … ?
Christa: Missing something. :)

JR: Besides your love for all things vintage and beautiful, what other creative endeavors do you partake and is there something you like to learn?
Christa: I'm a crafter and I sew – if I can make it, I won't buy it – especially when it comes to decorating. Making the thing is so much more fulfilling than buying. There are so many things I'd like to learn! Currently, I'm interested in jewelry making as I have so many talented jewelry friends thanks to my Etsy connections. I'd love to learn to play guitar. I'd like to take martial arts classes. I'd like to take a class.. almost any class. Lol. There are just so many things I'd like to learn!

~ Lovely Bohemian Flower Bowl ~

JR: You currently reside in London, Kentucky - a city of only 7993 population as of 2010. Do you feel like you know almost everyone, and what are the benefits of living in a lightly populated city?
Christa: Actually, London is a big change for me. We moved here about 2 years ago. My hometown is much smaller with a population of about 3,624 and I do recognize most faces there. Lol. And though I know most people consider London a small town, to me, it's a BIG place. There are so many advantages to living in a small town. For instance, we buy our eggs from a lone farmer and we can get meats, cheeses, cakes and such from the local Mennonite community – all 100% organic at about the same cost as you'd find in your grocery store. Also, we live near a National Forest, a lake and a river so we have the pleasure of nature that I believe is lacking in many cities.

~ Sweet collection of Pink Flower Saucers and Bowls ~

JR: The world as we live in today is becoming more and more superficial, especially so with the 'convenience' of digital communication. Do you think the generation of tomorrow has lost their innate intuition and honesty to each other and even to themselves, and what are you views?
Christa: Well, I want to believe that intuition and honesty are qualities that live inside each individual and can never be lost. But I wonder if they are like most things that get better with practice? I hope our innate abilities are not among the “use it or lose it” variety because we do use them less, it seems. That said, I think every generation faces this at some point - “when I was a kid”. Well, when I was young we did it differently than they do it now, and when my mom was young she did it differently than we did it. It goes on and on. Some things are always changing.

~ Vintage Candles decorated by Christa with vintage dictionary page, ribbon and theater ticket ephemera, how lovely! ~

JR: If given the opportunity, what would an ideal lifestyle be for you and your family?
Christa: Oh, a big sprawling house nestled down in a lush, green valley with a stream coming down the mountain behind us. A garden and orchard. Sheep, chickens and horses. Enough money, but not so much that we'd ever lose sight of the most important aspect of life – love for one another.

JR: Who inspires you most in your life thus far?
Christa: There are people who just keep moving at a steady pace towards happiness and never stop. I admire that endurance.

JR: What is the motto of your life that you would love your children to carry on living by?
Christa: Oliver Wendell Holmes said, “Take your needle, my child, and work at your pattern; it will come out a rose by and by. Life is like that - one stitch at a time taken patiently.” I want my children to know and believe that they have to work at their dreams and that endurance wins the race.

~ Stately and Handsome Brass Eagle Mantle ~

JR: What is it about mandarin epic movies that you love?
Christa: Oh, so many things! I love the passion in the actors. I love the grandiose nature of the stories. Mostly, I love the absolute beauty of the scenes. Take for instance the last scene in House of Flying Daggers with the snow swirling and the bright red blood on the pure white snow – all with the culmination of a fatal love triangle. Swoon.

~ Watch Trailer ~

~ ♥ ~

There you have it folks! A little about the life of vintage huntress Christa :D
Far from being faded memories but full of the beatitude of life's little luxuries!
And you will have a chance to own one of Christa's finds with her giveaway, so stay tuned!

Visit Christa's shop for more beautiful finds, or find Christa doing lovely tutorials at her blog and keep up to date with her on her Facebook!

~ ♥ ~

_______________________________________________

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Handmade and Vintage Holiday Decor!

December is well underway!  

Still trying to sort out your holiday decor?  

Here are some great festive finds...

Stemmed Glasses from RhettDidntGiveADamn on Etsy
 

Brass Wall Sconces from Pillowsophi on Etsy

Hanukkah Decorative Plant from TallPoppyGardens on Etsy 

Scandinavian Angel Candle Holder from Pillowsophi on Etsy 

Christmas Tree Linocut Print from RetroModernArt on Etsy

Christmas Candle Holders from RhettDidntGiveADamn on Etsy

Napkins from RetroBabs Vintage on Etsy

Featured Shops:

Rhett Didn't Give A Damn

Pillowsophi

TallPoppyGardens

Retro Modern Projects 

RetroBabs Vintage

This post was written by Marie, Indie Style Guide's vintage and home decor editor.  Marie also runs Pillowsophi on Etsy, where she sells mid century modern and retro items for the home.

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Ms October Mosaic

Ms October Mosaic ~ the end of summer, the beginning of autumn...
Left with just a few days of Ms October, she is beckoning autumn in her own way. She may have arrived early for some and late for the rest... still, she never fails to make a presence unnoticed. A time where the leaves outside your window turn to a glorious orange gold hue, a time for september babies to be born, a time for harvest of pumpkins, a time to gather with family and friends, a time for autumn vows to be made... How will you make autumn's presence noticed in your days ahead? Well, here are just a few marvelous items that we love to share and you may very well find a thing or two that beckons you ;) Click on them to see more photos and details.	$26 ~ fine art photo print by GoldenSection
Let's start with decorating your home sweet home... for they say, everything starts from home!
$14.50 ~ vintage find by RhettDidn'tGiveADamn	$18 ~ vintage find by PillowSophi
$16 ~ vintage find by PillowSophi	$28 ~ handmade suncatcher by GaleazGlass
$16 ~ handmade serving plate by BPRDesigns	$35 ~ handmade serving dish by BPRDesigns
$4.75 ~ dried fruit ornament by HoneyTeaThyme	$68 ~ vintage find by RhettDidntGiveADamn
~~~ Original photo/art prints to add character to your space... ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
$28 ~ original art print by BrandyCattoor	$490 ~ original painting by BrandyCattoor
$18.75 ~ photo print by MaddenPhotography	$18.75 ~ photo print by MaddenPhotography
$10 ~ illustration art print by YuliyaArt	$28 ~ linocut print by RetroModernArt
~~~ What is October without pumpkins! ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
$8 ~ plush pumpkin by BoutiqueVintage72	$14 ~ pumpkin pmc ear studs by JPwithLove
$26 ~ fine art photo print by GoldenSection	$26 ~ fine art photo print by GoldenSection
~~~ Time to sew something lovely :D ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
$19 ~ vintage corduroy by TheHouseOfOliver	$32 ~ vintage designer wool by TheHouseOfOliver
$13 ~ vintage cotton by TheHouseOfOliver	$6.50 ~ vintage trimming by TheHouseOfOliver
~~~ A lady's got to carry in style! ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
$28 ~ vintage leather handbag from TheHouseOfOliver	$45 ~ handmade tote by ArmCandyforYou
$21 ~ vintage mad men handbag from CashmereVintage	$45 ~ handmade clutch from ArmCandyforYou
~~~ Keeping warm in style! ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
$20 ~ handmade knitted gloves by WindyCityKnits	$25 ~ handmade knitted scarf by WindyCityKnits
$42 ~ vintage sweater from CashmereVintage	$48 ~ handmade arm cuff by PiaBarile
$26 ~ handmade arm cuff by PiaBarile	$35 ~ handmade neck lush by PiaBarile
~~~ Accessorize in style! ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
$23 ~ handmade pmc earrings by JPwithLove	$12 ~ handmade pmc earrings by JPwithLove
$42 ~ handmade necklace by AbacusBeadCreations	$38 ~ handmade earrings by AbacusBeadCreations
$31 ~ handmade vintage rhinestone bracelet by RewElliot	$26 ~ handmade vintage rhinestone earrings by RewElliot
$10 ~ handmade earrings by BoutiqueVintage72	$18 ~ handmade necklace by BoutiqueVintage72
$15 ~ handmade vintage topaz earrings by ShadowJewels	$64 ~ handmade gemstone earrings by ShadowJewels
$47 ~ handmade beaded bracelet by JeannieRichard	$60 ~ handmade beaded bracelet by JeannieRichard
$243 ~ handmade jewelry box set by GaleazGlass	$10 ~ handmade knitted bracelet by WindyCindyKnits
$33 ~ handmade bracelet wrap by CharmedDesign1012	$33 ~ handmade bracelet wrap by CharmedDesign1012
~~~ Something for your little ones :D ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
$5 ~ handmade felt bow hairpin by JPwithLove	$21 ~ handmade pmc fruit hairpins by JPwithLove
~~~ And end your day with a warm cup of honey... ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~
$6 ~ apple pure honey by HoneyTeaThyme	$7.50 ~ autumn spice pure honey by HoneyTeaThyme
...................................................................................................................................................... We hope you enjoyed this mosaic as much as we did gathering them for you! See you next week for the first installment of Ms. November Mosiac :D Until then, stay cool, stay chic, stay peace loving... XO J+R ...................................................................................................................................................... This mosaic was brought to you by JeannnieRichard - a husband and wife team making distinct handmade luxe jewelry that makes you say, "It's so me!" and slaves to two cats ;)

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