Back in Business!

Our Etsy shop hiatus lasted a bit longer than planned.  It's been almost a year and a half since it was last stocked.  In my defense, you know I crammed a lot of living into that time.  I defended my PhD, sold the townhouse, moved 1500km, bought the lakehouse, and started sprucing it up.  We also added a bull to our China Shop ;)  Yep, I have a litany of truly fabulous excuses but we're open again, and I'm sure you'd really rather just see the goods, right? 

With three people picking (myself, my Mummu and my Mom), our Minden Shop has a pretty eclectic vintage offering.  Looking through the shop, it says a lot about our aesthetics - one day we should play a game of who found what.  Someone clearly has a secret love for gold and gleaming brass...  I can't help it!  (We also have a set of gold chevron glasses that are so pretty).

Solid Brass Butterfly Box; Hand Blown Polka Dot Glasses; Solid Brass Tray with Wood Handles

Our Finnish lineage is evident in our inventory.  That Arabia strawberry jam jar and my Riihimaen Lasi Oy score are such fabulous pieces that it was hard to put them up for sale.  But Hubs and I downsized to a much smaller home in the townhouse to lakehouse transition and I just can't keep everything.  These beautiful things need homes where they will be used and loved, not hoarded and boxed up.  Really, I'm ready to say good-bye, I swear.

Arabia Jam Pot; Riihimaen Vase; Arabia Sotka Coffee Set, Iittala Kasthelmi Cups, Saucers, Cream & Sugar

We've been even more selective stocking the shop this time around, looking for timeless design and unusual finds (Iittala! Rosenthal! Dansk! Howard Pierce! Figgjo! W German Pottery!)...

Rosenthal "Balance" Vase; Howard Pierce Vase; Figgjo Lotte; West German Pottery

But, as always, we've got some fun pieces that I'll categorize as cheap & cheerful.  We've got lots of goodies for under $10 and $20:

Bakelite Cake Serving Set; Dansk Warming Pot; Orange Coaster Set; Iittala Niva Shot Glasses; Stainless Steel Egg Cups; Bakelite Glo-Hill Bar Tools; Copper Bowl; Escargot Forks; Teak Ice Bucket

We've decided to start to curate our offerings in a more seasonally-aware way.  We've stashed boxes of really spring-y things for now (aren't you curious??), and we've stream-lined our current offerings largely to entertaining, cooking, and barware - plus some really special gift ideas.  We're also mindful of the cold hard winter some folks (like us) are facing and so, hello YELLOW (to heat things up):

West German Vase; Dansk Bowl; Swedish Figurine; Dansk Fish Trivet

Weirdly, many of my favorite items are such a departure from the look I'm aspiring to in the lakehouse (bright + colourful).  The very cool 1970s glasses, designed by Inuit artist Germaine Arnaktauyok, might just have the top spot, but the Pyrex wine decanters with cork stoppers are a close second  Also, that faux horn bakelite cutlery set...

Inuit Glasses; Bakelite Cutlery Set; Pyrex Decanters with Cork Stopper; European Table Runner

Can't you see these things in a space like this (earthy but minimal):

That's why we named the shop "Minden" (which means "everything" in Hungarian):  our shop consists of nothing we don't love!

Because Thunder Bay is so close to the Minnesota border, right now I'm shipping domestically to Canadian and US buyers - so no international shipping fees!  I'm not sure how long I can offer this service, but for now it's awesome because the savings are huge.  If anything does catch your eye, contact me for a customized shipping quote and you might save even more. 

Now that the shop is open we have no plans to close, and I'll be adding new goodies every week.  I'll give sneak peeks on Instagram, and occasionally here on the blog, so you can get first dibs!  I'll also be holding more Instagram sales (a Pyrex/Fire King/Hazel Atlas sale is coming up a week from today).  Before I sign off to package my first two sales for shipping (yay!), I wanted to say thanks.  Thanks so much for all of your support over the years - especially to those of you who encouraged me to open the shop in the first place.  It's been fun to work on this with my Grandma and Mom, and it's made all the better by being able to share it with you.  So thank you.

Finn Style

Because I speak Hungarian, sometimes I feel closer to my Hungarian heritage than my Finnish heritage.  But then I spot a Marimekko print in a shop window or see bloggers go gaga over Iittala birds and I feel a rush of pride.  I'm a devoted fan of Finnish design because I love pretty (and good quality) things, but also because it's in my blood.  Which is why we went on a day trip to Minneapolis last week, purely so I could check out Finn Style, a store I had been aching to visit after I read about it in the July 2011 issue of Lucky magazine.

The Lucky Mag article that led me to the store.

It was definitely worth the drive.

Finn Style is a must-see shop for any style connoisseur (Finn or otherwise).  This spacious shop boasts impressive collections of Marimekko fabrics, linens & clothing, Iittala glassware, Arabia porcelain and Kalevala jewellery.  Plus, you'll find fun & funky Aarikka jewellery, coveted Iittala glass birds and, of course, delicious Panda licorice (that's a staple snack in our household).  But for those shopping for something a little more unusual, this shop also sells more exclusive items, like the Vallila pillows my mom scooped up (I'll post photos soon).

Take a look at just some of the goodies sold in store and online:

Marimekko Fabrics

Marimekko Towels (& other goodies)

Iittala Products

You knew I'd drool over the Alvar Aalto pieces . . .

Kitchen Accessories, Linens & Arabia Dishware

Clothing & Accessories

Funky Aarikka jewellery

Marimekko Change Purses

The selection, and prices, were fabulous and my mom and I definitely enjoyed a little shopping indulgence, each leaving with bulging bags.  I even bought the same dress featured in the Lucky article that led me to the shop (steeply discounted because it is a summer piece).  Even my dad bought himself a mug and Hubby filled his pockets with licorice.  I'll show you all of our Finn Style goodies later but here's a sneak peak of what I bought, in the form of a hint:

Need a better hint?

From table settings to upholstered pieces, the shop is chock full of smart and stylish ideas, which made us buzz with creativity.  Check back to see what we whip up and take a peak at some of the inspiration.

Gorgeous Tablescape

Upholstered Chair - Marimekko Unikko Poppy Upholstery Fabric



Upholstered Chair - Marimekko Kanteleen Kustu Upholstery Fabric

I really, really like this chair.

See the Finn Style website for more info (if you can't make it to Minneapolis, you can also buy online).  I'll be sharing photos of what we bought this week or next.

P.S. A quick note to new blog friends: I'm only blogging about this store because I loved it so.  I haven't been perked or paid.

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Vintage Kitchen Goods

I love vintage - even new - Pyrex and Fire King, a product of Anchor Hocking, because the quality is just so amazing, plus the colours and patterns are fantastic.  But I try to restrain myself when it comes to purchasing kitchen wares because, without a curio cabinet or dining room hutch, all of our everyday dishes, "good" dishes, casserole dishes, glassware, mugs, tea, pots & pans (not to mention dry goods) have to co-exist in the cupboards of our modestly sized kitchen. 

But here's my collection, hiding among some other pieces (including an Arabia casserole made in Finland and a funky cake stand made in Germany, both yard sale finds):

There is a newbie in the photos because I enjoyed a major estate sale score.  I bought ALL of the items in the next photograph for $5.00.  Could I be any luckier?  

At a local flea market I rounded out the collection of bowls.  Although I bought the HEAP of vintage kitchen goods above for a fiver, I spent $5 a piece on two of the little chili bowls.  But now I have a set of four, which is ideal because for some reason pairs of things (bowls, mugs) etc. drives me insane.  Hubby finds this offensive so I feel the need to clarify that pairs of people are lovely but a pair of chili bowls aggravates me.  Four, six or eight is better.

The plain white might seem a bit boring, I know, but they're just so gleamy, glowy & go with everything.

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