Saturday, May 30, 2009

Monty Has A New Friend

We had a cute little visitor to The Attic this week. Monty stopped by with his Mommy who adopted a new little friend for him.



At first, he wasn't sold on the idea...

...but in the end the two poodles became friends. :)
Gotta love the look and the body language here.


Yes, I even let him sit on the "Do Not Sit" sofa, just for a quick photo. :)
If Monty's Mommy is reading this, please leave a comment because I misplaced your blog address!

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Tent City Totes & Pillows


Attic Girl Kandi surprised us with these totes and pillows this week, just in time for Memorial Day weekend. I'm glad one of us knows how to sew! These are an Attic exclusive designed by Kandi. :) We have 3 different ticking fabric choices and the pillows have a cute pom pom trim. She had the original early 1900's advertisement for Tent City rentals! The rates were pretty unbelievable back then..beach cottages for $1.50 per day! You can click on the this link to learn more about Tent City.

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Things come and go....

This waterfall chest of drawers came in yesterday. It was unpainted when found, but it required painting as the finish was in bad shape. I wasn't sure that I would like it black, but it came out great and it looks 10 times better in person!


Love the hardware. It definitely makes this piece.





We'll miss this beauty as it's going to a new home. I don't know why we get attached to certain pieces, but we do! This was the piece that everyone ooohed and ahhhed over. It's not like we'll never see it again..it's going just down the street to our long time customer. I have not had the pleasure of seeing her adorable home, but Jane tells me that her house is full of The Attic furniture from the last 8 years! I can't wait to see it and will be writing a post on it sometime in June.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

Mmmm..it smells good in here!


We hear these words a lot these days, thanks to Aspen Bay It seems everyone's favorite is the Aloha Orchid. Freshly picked orchids, jasmine, gardenia, and other white blossoms, all entwined in a delicate Hawaiian lei. Pure heaven. It's no wonder it's everyone's favorite. Our first order quickly sold out, so a second order has been placed and should be here within a week. I also love the Volcano Seductive scent. Tropical fruits, sugared oranges, lemons, and limes, redolent with lightly exotic mountain greens. Very fresh and clean.

We also carry hand poured soaps by my dear friend Sharon from Sweet Repose & The Wild Thing. Whether you have a store or just want some for yourself, do yourself a favor and try them. My favorites are the Lemon Verbena and Mango Papaya but she has so many more scents..it will make your head spin!

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

TuTu Monkey



Darling Dana of Tutu Monkey dropped by with her basket of noggin toppers this week. We will be carrying an assortment of colors and sizes so pop on over and top your noggin. They even look cute on BIG girls. Dana had her hair pulled up on one side with a pretty pink one. She claimed it was a bad hair day..Uh-huh...sure Dana. You looked adorable! As usual.



Saturday, May 16, 2009

A Buffet Can Be....


A Dresser!


I love this buffet and if were mine, I probably wouldn't use it as a buffet. I would much rather store my linens in the closet and use this in the bedroom!

The divided flatware drawers would be perfect for jewelry or if jewelry isn't your thing...roll your socks and place them in these neat divided sections!


You can stack your sweaters or handbags in the side compartments and clothing in the two long deep drawers.


If this isn't convincing enough for your better half, tell him he can put the 52" Flat Screen on top. This baby measures a whopping 60 inches long. :) I don't think it will be hanging around too long...it has already attracted the attention of a few customers. If you are in the neighborhood, pop in to see this lovely. Here's what it looked like just a week ago. Amazing what a coat of paint will do.

Friday, May 15, 2009

The Perfect Souvenir


If you are looking for a great little souvenir from Coronado, check out these sweet handmade vintage postcard pillows that we carry by local island girl, Tamerie. The photos do not do these little gems justice. You can click on any image to enlarge.


She uses charming old images from early 1900's postcards. Very well done...top quality! We have many tourists that come through the doors over the summer, and they are always looking for something that they can take in their luggage or carry on that's easy to pack and non-breakable. I think this is going to be IT!

If you would like to purchase one through the blog, give us a call.
619-435-5614

Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Changing UP The Display


Sometimes all it takes to sell something, is to move it to another spot, or in our case, hang it upside down. That's exactly what we did with this set of 4 chairs, and we could not believe the attention they got. Three people wanted them once we hung them up! I was loving the way they looked up there, but they are off to their new home.

Monday, May 11, 2009

Front Page News ... 3/50 Project


The Attic made the news again, and this time it was the front page! The article is about the 3/50 Project. Along with businesses across the country, we are participating in the project by spreading the word through handouts to our customers. If you haven't heard about it, be sure to click here to go to their web site. Since the article published last Thursday, we have had numerous customers come in to tell us that they read about it, and what a great concept it is. Many told us that they would "hate to see us go", but I assured them we aren't going anywhere, and truly appreciate their continued support. Supporting your local business is more important than ever, and if you have a brick and mortar of your own, be sure to sign up at the 3/50 Project website.

You can print out these flyers and start handing them out tomorrow! The response we have received has been overwhelming. I received an email today from the Cinda Baxter, founder of the 3/50 project, and I look forward to shaking her hand someday! Coronado is calling your name Cindy..you need a vacation. :)

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Off the beaten path.....



The view of our shoppe from the corner of 10th & Orange

When we first purchased The Attic last fall, we were all three a bit apprehensive about opening a business in troubled economic times, but another concern was the location, which is off the beaten path. After all, location is key, right? Although the island locals would easily find us, the tourists were a whole other story...and in a tourist town, they are a huge part of our business. We are located on a side street which is not even 1/2 a block off the main avenue, but let's face it...some people are just not that adventurous! We have a folding sign which we keep at the corner, a garden trellis at the entrance which we light up at dusk, an OPEN sign with an arrow point towards our door, a bright teal and white striped awning, and have held 4 in store events since opening last October. And with all of this, we are actually doing well. We've often pondered what our business would be like if we were on the main avenue. We have friends who have well established businesses there, and there are many days that our sales surpass theirs, so I guess we're doing something right!


Notice the "Man Bench" outside the store? That's where we send all of the men who come in with their wives or girlfriends. :) j/k

The Attic
1112 Tenth St.
Coronado , Ca

Thursday, May 7, 2009

In the News...


The Attic had a little write up in our local Coronado Eagle Journal for our Mother's Day event! Toot toot...It's always nice to have a little write up, and being that we are such a small community, it really helps in promoting the business. But on to more important matters and what's on everyone's mind. What to get Mom for Mother's Day. We have some great gift ideas and with only few more days of shopping, I thought I would share some of my favorite things here at The Attic. We've had a few men shopping alone this week and that's usually a sign that they are looking for a gift for their girlfriend or wife. They have that deer in the headlights look...heehee. No worries...we're here to help!



We have stacks of handmade pillows....


A wide selection of jewelry to fit everyone's style. Repurposed vintage watches
are now a necklace with your initial. Typewriter key bracelets...





Rhinestone key chains in the Eiffel Tower & Fleur de Lis.





Pretty vintage teacups and doves with a message for Mother. Fill the teacup with chocolates or her favorite tea and a good book.
The perfect gift!



Or give her the chandelier she's always wanted...



Wishing Mother's Everywhere...A Happy Mother's Day

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Turning One Into Three....



Everyone loves the old vanities from the 1930's and 40's, but when the Attic Girls run across one that has seen better days, we send it to Jon to work his magic!

Jon is an expert at turning vanities into nightstands! I don't know how he does it but he leaves barely a trace of evidence that these were cut out from a vanity. He is working on the center mirror now, and I'm sure it will be a great piece too. In this case, I think three is better than one!

We revamped the small front display window this week and added the nightstands along with a darling new twin bed. Stop by to see us sometime and let us know if you visit our blog. :)

Monday, May 4, 2009

Out With The Old..........


And in with the new! We said goodbye to this cute little kitchen cupboard this week,and a big HELLO to this tall pine hutch and 3 other new arrivals.


Thank goodness for tall ceilings! We had no problem filling it with our candles, soaps and kitchen linens and things*




Also new this week is this black beauty, custom made by Jon.



This can be used as a sofa table or entry table. He builds these with a deep box and removable glass tops so you can fill it with seashells or a special collection. It also has a display shelf underneath. These can also be special ordered in white.
Price: $295


This charming chest of drawers can double as a buffet. We placed our vintage napkin sets and silver plated serving pieces on top. It holds everything nicely. I will be posting one more addition to the store tomorrow. I will be showing before and after shots of how Jon transformed one piece into something totally different and more practical. Come back tomorrow to see for yourself!

Saturday, May 2, 2009

Mother Dear ~ A Celebration




Reproduced vintage Mother's Day cards, embellished with glitter & handmade tissue envelopes by our very own Attic Girl, Jane!



A tree filled with hand dyed doves holding messages of love for Mother Dear. This was our first attempt at these adorable little birds. Our friend Joy was so pressed for time that she couldn't fulfill an order for us, so we took on the task and really enjoyed it!

This 1940's Mother Dear pillow is amazing...found packed away and never displayed. How sad!






The birds were the perfect addition to our vintage teacups!




Probably my favorite thing...a large cloche with bird & iron urn






Vintage Mother Mottos are a favorite of mine, and here are two sweet ones!


Tamerie brought her lovely handmade pillows. Don't you just love her modeling this vintage dress? She said it felt like she was wearing a sofa! Well, it was made out of upholstery fabric. :) It was so darn cute, she just had to have it. Not many people can pull off a dress like this. Leave it to Tamerie. :)



Tamerie brought some lovely pillows. I love these vintage Coronado postcard pillows!



Shirley was our surprise guest artist. She is behind these beautiful jackets made from vintage linens and lace. Each one is totally unique and they were quite the hit!


Our gal Gina...what can I say about Gina. Her jewelry designs are tops, and customers just LOVE her and her offerings! She had a great run today and you can always find her jewelry here at The Attic.






The weather was perfect and it was great to be surrounded by such talented ladies and their fabulous creations! Thank you to Gina, Tamerie and Shirley. You made our day much brighter and we look forward to sharing more days like this with you all!



(You can click on any image to enlarge if you like)