Sunday, September 15, 2013

A visit to Magpie Ethel

When we were planning our trip out west and knowing we'd be stopping in Portland, I just had to stop and visit my good friend Laurie from Magpie Ethel.  If you've been reading my blog for a while, you'll have seen quite a few posts and mentions of her.  While we live on opposite coasts and had never met in person, I felt like I knew her already...and her studio and home too!  She and I share a similar aesthetic and of course a love for all things quirky and old.  I had seen photos of her studio and home plenty of times on her blog...but it's nothing compared to seeing it in person.  It's truly stunning and so so so inspiring!  She has the most drool worthy collections of not only studio decorations and materials, but of things in her home too.  And to boot...Laurie is as sweet as cherry pie!  ...not that I was surprised by that.  :)

I took a gajillion photos of all her awesome stuff...here are a bunch.  They're pure eye candy.

 Her pipe cleaner bug was my very favorite thing of hers...and I'm surprised I was able to pick a favorite!

Pom pom cherries.

 Weird, cool doll on a bingo card on a cabinet door.

 The best baby toys I've ever seen!


 Hanging teacups on the newly installed pot rack.

 Storks storks storks!!

 Open any drawer and you won't be disappointed!


 Tiny drawers.  I have a lot of these too, but mine aren't so nicely organized and pretty!

 Mushrooms!

 Honeycombs and lanterns...to die for!

 Candy canes!  I've all but used all mine up...I need to go estate saling soon!!

 And I thought I had a lot of putz houses!

 Jars of awesomeness...

 Cupcake wrappers of every size and pattern you'd ever dream of.

 Sigh...ask me as a kid if I'd ever be jealous of someone's pipe cleaner collection....

 Gnome guy?  Yes please.

 A bowl of Santas...every good studio needs one!

 Her studio was chock full of goodness in every crevice and crack and from floor to ceiling...but her house was more curated and the collections were wonderfully displayed.  Like this glass cabinet with honeycomb mushrooms and swans. 

 Raffata flowers in front of the window.

 Birds in the bathroom.

 The best part may be the shallow built in cabinet at the top of her stairs.  All her favorite things are there...

 
 Hey!  I have this same deer ornament!  But hers is glitter and mine is venetian dew...who knew they made two versions?

 Sigh...

 Sign again...love the honeycomb chicks in a row with dresden backdrop...genius!

Sigh...again...

 I think I've picked my personal favorite from the cabinet.  So cute!



A dresser in the master bedroom...Ben would never let me keep a display like this in our room!  Humpf!

Darling vintage pipe cleaner dolls.  Look at the one with the dog!

 A lamp girl with lightbulb face...next project on my list...painting a lightbulb....

And last photo before my phone conked out...two coveted glittery birds...handmade by a mystery artist.

So great to meet you Laurie (finally!!) and thank you so much for letting me bombard your world!  I just loved every moment!!!  :)

17 comments:

Dicky Bird said...

What in inspiration!!! I want to clean out my old shop/studio and make it cute and organized like this one! It's such a cluster!!

Musings from Kim K. said...

I'm so glad you took so many pictures of Laurie's beautiful space. Her collections are magical. Her creations are fantastic. I'm a Magpie Ethel groupie. Thank you for sharing your special time with her with the rest of us.

laurie -magpie ethel said...

Always so fun to see my studio/house through another person's perspective/eye! I certainty like the color and the unusual. Was so, so fun to meet a blogland friend who I have "known" for awhile. Hope to make it to your neck of the woods sometime!

Into Vintage said...

How fun that you two vintage crafters met in person and you got to see Ethel's amazing home and studio! Definitely once of the best parts about blogging :-)

Janet's Creations said...

I have been lucky enough to have toured Laurie's studio. Your pictures helped me see things I haven't seen before. I think it's just too, too much to take in in just a few minutes time. It is, indeed, drool worthy!

Erica of Golden Egg Vintage said...

It's amazing! She's the ultimate vintage Queen! Thank you for taking all the great pics. It was so much to see!
Erica :)

Marci said...

Fantastic tour and lots of stuff we haven't seen on her blog so that was fun! I would also love to meet Laurie and tour that drool worthy house and studio, definitely on my bucket list! Thanks for sharing!

Kathy said...

So happy you got to visit and shared with all of us. I have been there and lapsed into some kind of vintage coma with my mouth hanging open and didn't take a single picture.

ThrifterSisters said...

Oh man, isn't it just stunning! When my Sister, niece, and I visited my favorite part was the build in cabinets too, I could stare in them for hours! Laurie is a genius :)
~Hanna

Debra Ganas said...

"Jars of AWESOMENESS" that sums it up. LOVE !!!
Debra

marasmarket.blogspot.com said...

thanks for sharing your gajillions photos, they are great. have been a fan of lauries for quite awhile and yours since your appearance on martha's show (miss that show) love your craft, you do an amazing job.

Heather Donohue Crafts said...

Super-fantastic photos and post! Even on my very luckiest estate sale days, I always think Magpie Ethel seems to have had better luck in her neck of the woods....

Blessed Serendipity said...

Isn't her place magical?? I was blessed to be able to see it in person just recently myself. i was in awe. So much to see. I know I didn't take nearly enough pictures, but I will never forget the experience of the magpie magic.

Danielle

vivian said...

how nice that you were able to visit Laurie! Her home is so overwhelmingly filled with wonder and whimsy and inspiration, I think I would go out of my mind there! but Id like to give it try to see! LOL!
glad you had fun on your trip!
xoxo
vivian

Vintage by Crystal said...

Words can not describe how much inspiration, joyfulness, and pleasure I took with me when I left Laurie's magical mystical world of creativity and wonderment. I think i am still recovering from the Magpie Ethel high. :)

Thank you so much everyone for all of your great comments!

AquaMarine Queen said...

Oh, I've been waiting for you to post this! The photos did not disappoint :) I always look forward to Laurie's estate sale updates and dream about the vintage heaven that she's accumulated. Thanks for the tour and commentary!

Amber said...

Oh I love both your stores on Etsy and it is almost eerie looking at these photos as on a slightly smaller scale, this could be my place! I so wish I lived nearer to people such as you. I am an oddity where I live, and my friends and family look around my house and just shake their heads. Oh well - it suits me just fine! Keep all the great stories and photos coming - they are wonderful to behold :)