AZ HERE I COME...

Today, I'm off to Phoenix to help a friend move into her new apartment. While she couldn't be more excited about abandoning cold winters of Boston for the sunny skies of Arizona, I'm excited to dip into the patterned, southwest trend that's hitting the streets of NYC as we speak. Definitely going to look for some vintage jewelery while I'm there...

 Tucker Zig Zag Jacket

 

Missoni Soia Sweater

I also hope to find some great southwestern-style blankets for my home too. Love these new ones from the Pendleton Portland Collection...

AND WE'RE BACK...

Things have been so busy recently with the Brooklyn Flea, I realized that I've neglected my Etsy site. Feels like forever since I've posted new items. I finally took some time today to photograph new items from my recent thrifting trips. Here are a few of my favs...

Vintage glass cake domes are a perfect way way to display seasonal pumpkins and squash...

Add a bottle of your favorite liquor to this vintage stainless steel bar set and you've got a very cool gift...

An awesome glass insulator paper weight. Would also look great on top of a pile of books.

How awesome is this French ping pong set from the 1930s?

More listings coming week, get ready!

STRIPED STRAWS

I've written about striped straws before. They're colorful, fun and perfect for summer parties. In the past, I used them to help style O&B online and recently I've been using them at the Brooklyn Flea.

People always ask me about them and this weekend was no exception. Social media gurus from Kate Spade spotted them at the booth this weekend and tweeted about them. Check out their cool instagram pic...

via @katespadeny... check out the original post here.

If you're looking for these fun straws, I've got them in red, gray, blue and yellow. More colors coming soon. Just contact me at shopoctaviabrown@gmail.com for more info.

RAIN, RAIN ENOUGH ALREADY

It's currently monsooning in NYC. I thought Sept was supposed to be a nice transition from Summer into Fall... Oh well, since I can't beat it, might as well join it. A few inspired items for a rainy Friday. Here's hoping it clear up before the Brooklyn Flea on Sunday.

Middle Child Complex has the right idea with the bright colors and cute umbrella.

 Rain boot notecard Set by Sloe Gin Fizz

Rain Print by Eloise  Renouf

Have a good weekend! 

ETSY FAVS

I always think it's fun to go back and take a look at things I've favorited on Etsy. Not sure there's any real pattern here, but love the end of summer colors...

Have you had an favs from Etsy recently?

LOOK AT THAT SOAP...

It's no secret that I love packaging. So it's really no surprise that I've recently fallen in love with beautifully packaged bar soaps. I'm usually not a smelly soap kind of girl, but some of these soaps are wrapped in the most amazing colors and patterns. I can only imagine using the packaging again to wrap presents or to pin up on my inspiration board. I can't get enough. Here are a few of my favs...

Claus Porto Cerina- Marine

Claus Porto Lize- Morning Glory

 La Compagnie de Provence Bar Soaps come with instructions for folding the package into an origami shape

Lucia Bar Soaps

I really like this collection of vintage international hotel bathroom soaps found via Visual Culture...

FASHION WEEK

New York Fashion Week has officially ended. I was fortunate to go to my first fashion show (ever) for a new line, Emerson. I was excited to see the slate blues and fun patterns coming in for Spring 2012. Here are a few of my favorite pics from the show.

Have a great weekend and I'll see you back here on Monday.

THE TERRIBLE DAY

I'd like to take a moment out of our crazy busy lives to reflect on something. Traveling to Brimfields last week, my friend Tara and I stayed at the home of blogger and superwoman, Deanna of Silly Goose Farm. Over freshly baked biscuits and homemade jam (so delish), she told us stories of the destruction in upstate New York from Hurricane Irene.

Daily News, Photographer: Dick Sanford

Driving around the area and in Hudson, NY we could see the amount of flooding and damage. Bridges were flooded, entire fields of corn filled three quarters of the way up with water.

Daily News, Photographer: Dick Sanford

One man at Brimfields told me a sad story of a friend who had lost 20 horses from his farm in the flood. They are still missing...

Times Union 

 That was a field of ready to pick corn, flattened. (Times Union)

Not sure about your neck of the woods,  but in NYC this news was barely covered. As a foodie, my heart goes out to the farmers who lost their late summer, early autumn crops. That's apples, corn, pumpkins and squash, the stuff that reminds me of Fall and comes down to the Farmer's Market in Union Square.

If you'd like to help, Deanna and her blogger friends,  From Scratch Club, have set up two fundraisers to to help a family who lost everything in the flood and two organic farms who are realing from the storm. If anything, read their stories and learn more about the destruction from this terrible day.

FLEA TIME

Last Sunday marked another good day at the Brooklyn Flea. I was excited to showcase some of my most recent finds from Brimfields including this fantastic bar set and metal signs.

Also new were these Mad Men-esque Pilsner Glasses. In my opinion these need to make a comeback, it's so much cooler is it to drink from these instead of a pint glass, or bottle.

This tortoise shell vanity mirror was a last minute find in the rain... 

As was this cool cigarette case from the 30s. It has a secret drawer...

As I've been doing the Flea each week, I've met some fantastic sellers. My most recent neighbors were the wonderful couple Amy and Alen behind Birdhouse Jewelry. They've given me some fantastic pointers on how to set up my booth and don't complain about my Flea mix on repeat.  How cute is this little dog from Amy's collection?

On Sunday, I ended up with a gorgeous gold curved bar necklace and it's already become one of my favs. Check out more of Amy's work here.

This Sunday, Sept 18 I'll be back at the Brooklyn Flea, with many of the finds you see above. If you're in the area, be sure to stop by and say hello!

BACK TO BRIMFIELDS

I've been a bad blogger recently, but so much has been happening, it's hard to know where to start. To begin, last week I headed up to Brimfields with my friend Tara from The Prippy Handbook, to scour for vintage finds. Despite a rainy day and mud up to our ankles, there were definitely treasures to be had. Here are a few of my favorite pics from the day...

I am kind of tired of the animal antler trend, but these were everywhere at Brimfield's. Expect to start seeing them show up everywhere from your local design store to Anthropologie.

Also, everywhere were these cool industrial drafting tables. I mean huge, wooden and heavy. You could get some serious work done on these.

Definitely a buyer for everything at Brimfield's...

That's me, thank goodness I had my rain boots with me...

Wish this cool leather and brass bag had made it home with me.

Fantastic shelving...

This refinished industrial dresser was pretty awesome. Liked the sign too.

 

Decoys floating in a puddle, enough said about the rain...

So that was just the start of the week. The rest of the week included a trip to a farm upstate, a Fashion Week show, Pig Island and some selling at the Brooklyn Flea. More pics and stories tomorrow....

A FEW PICS

A few pics I shot wandering around the city today. Have a great weekend and see you back here on Monday...