(Sorry this a bit of an afterthought,seeing everything is sold except for the stool, I'm a lazy blogger)
"This is your life and it's ending one minute at a time."
If for a second you're thinking I'm copying an IKEA catalog, you're wrong, it's Fight Club dude. 1999 man, it was another 2-3 years before I even heard about this thing called IKEA. Another 1-2 years before my smoking hot wife and I filled our first apartment with their cheap particle board whatnot.
When was this layout original and fresh? Am I fresh?
Anyways, I like it. The folks on Craigslist couldn't get enough, got a bunch of replies just for the pictures.
"Only after disaster can we be resurrected."
"Hey, you created me. I didn't create some loser alter-ego to make myself feel better. Take some responsibility!"
I might of been obsessed with everything Chuck Palahniuk back in the day. good times.
I will definitely be offering this again, think about it, maybe even posting a whole room on Craigslist. The possibilities...
As our more astute readers may have noticed, Morgan was featured in the latest edition of Timeout Chicago, as a "vintage seller". There were a number of misprints, and we here at Manly Vintage wanted to set the record straight once and for all. Can you believe they sent a ONE LEGGED reporter to interview Morgan? Apparently, they're so cheap they can't even afford a whole reporter. Anyways, we decided that these inaccuracies could not stand, and we had to do something.
Please see our annotated version of the article below:
Unfortunately, things are not going to work out between us. I am so sorry for rushing into a relationship.
Before meeting you, I only dreamed about machines like you. When we first met I found you irresistible, hip, and that chrome trim made my knees shake.
You were always so eager to hand me a beer. Remember when I first put eggs in your rack? Golly you have an amazing rack.
Trust me baby; when I say it’s not you, it’s me. I should change for you, but I can’t. I need someone who can handle all of me; I’ve got too much baggage baby. Move on.
I will never forget when I first touched your curves, or laid eyes on your mint green interior.
My wife and I got a call yesterday from our loan agent, he told us we’re closing on our bungalow in two weeks and already I’m getting melancholy over the conclusion of my life in apartments. I might give my Dad a call and ask him for all the addresses, perhaps drive around and document with some pictures my previous abodes; you know, for closure.
Early childhood will be easy because we lived on Troy right off Kedzie, starting around 55th and moved up and down Troy as cheaper apartments opened up. Then 65th and Sacramento for few years, couple blocks off Marquette Park; that was a grand apartment. Sigh…
It was awhile before the next apartment; there was Canada, then Africa, back from Africa. Ma and Dad purchased a home in Oak Lawn.
Right after high school had an apartment with a friend at 65th and Mobile, while falling in love with my wife who lived in an apartment on Archer and Narragansett.
Got hitched and moved into a place in Riverside at 31st and Des Plaines. What. A. Crap. Hole.
Almost five years ago we moved to our current place at 32nd and Harlem, still in Riverside, spacious one bedroom and had three kids!
I’ll be processing all of this for at least an additional week, so anticipate more posts on the weird comfort of constantly hearing sirens, listening to your neighbors fighting, and my daughters yelling at people walking by our windows.
I know I’ve left out some basic info like, where the heck are you moving?? Answers will come; I will answer one question. No, this won’t become a cute couple renovation blog, namely because Jayson and I ain't a cute couple. Just two straight dudes who like to antique together. What?
I am a collector. I amass just about anything that I find two of.
I’ve collected stuff that I don’t even like just because someone gave me two of something, or gave me an item which paired with something I had, and two makes a collection- so I’d designate a box, or a corner of my dresser drawer, and start looking for more. Here’s a list off the top of my head of collections that I’ve had in this lifetime.
Stickers
Rocks
Arrowheads
Marbles
Sports cards (mostly baseball and basketball)
Pocket Knives
Postcards
Stamps
Coins
GI Joes
Animal skins
Buttons??
Bulls gear (what kid in 90’s Chicago didn’t have a ton of Bulls stuff? Nerds. That’s who.)
Sling shots
Posters
Pogs. I hated this one, but my grandma bought me some so I kept getting more.
Coffee cups with wolves on them.
Pictures of people I’d find in photo frames/albums at the thrift store. I lost this one somewhere around when I got married. I regret it everyday.
I’m going to stop there… the above is all pre high school collections, (I know I missed some too) and I’m embarrassed to go into my hoarding since getting married. I have recently started a new collection though, for someone I am exceedingly proud of; meet my son.
Levi Ulysses was born March 25th at 1:24 in the afternoon, weighing 8lbs 5 oz. He grabbed one of the doctor’s tools on the way out and would not let go, and he peed all over everybody just like his old man; well done son, well done.
Whenever I head into the kids room and grab some toys my oldest gets suspicious because I may or may not have sold a couple of her Fisher-Price toys at some point. I mean, who’s keeping track of all these toys?
Today her and her sister picked the lock on their door (j/k) and came out wondering what I was doing with her computer and dolly. Only props my dear…so far.
A bit of a picture overload but if you have a beating heart in your chest you’ll find one you just love. I think I might include one with Lucy (the youngest) in the Etsy listing, if all goes over well this might be the beginning of some sort of Etsy stage-parenting disaster.
So I've had this space in my basement that was begging for organization. Just ask Morgan, I'm not organized. Well the father in law is on his way here from Canada, so I had to get the tools in order. It was also an excuse for me to find a home for this 70s woods scene that I love and Sarah hates.
It looks a billion times better and more inviting.
Now maybe I could get to that "honeydo" list Sarah has for me.
Function does not have to be a slave to form. But form in our case, is super important. We have three very busy and often messy children. So almost all of our design choices have “kid proof” in mind. We own a home in Oak Park on the measly salary of one teacher and a part time babysitting super mom, so cheap and affordable are important for us as well. We shop craigslist because it allows us to be thrifty as well as satisfy our style needs. Because of these monetary restrictions, craigslist is our Room and Board.
Our couch was a sweet recent find. While not vintage, it is definately modern. For $50 dollars we got a used but in great condition Jasper couch from Room and Board. It was hard parting with our billowing brown leather couch that previously sat in its home, but our tastes have evolved, and its Pottery Barn feel didn’t quite fit the rest of the room. We decided that we couldn’t part with it, and it will find a new home in our basement.
Our TV stand is an IKEA standard; the industrial and bright red metal cabinet. I like that it LOCKS and I can keep the kids out of the television equipment. To the right of it is a vintage valet we snagged off of craigslist for 25 dollars. To me, a well designed valet is the epitome of manly vintageness. It was designed for working men. I can’t think of anything more iconic than a man preparing his suite the night before, and the valet has room for all of its parts. I love that piece!
The coffee table was a hundred dollar craigslist find. It was bought from a woman who lost her job and supplements her husband’s salary by scouring estate sales for mid-century pieces. The kids have literally taken bites out of a few of its parts, but it is wood, and can be refinished if necessary. We were looking for a coffee table for MONTHS before we decided on this piece. The rug underneath it is the ultimate kid friendly rug. Carpet squares by Flor are insanely easy to clean. I’ve already thrown a few in the washer when the kids have spilled milk or other crap on them. $120 for 18 20? by 20? tiles.
The drapes were made by my wife from IKEA fabric. At first we thought they were garish and balloon like, but they’ve grown on us, especially after we purchased four Eames knock offs from Wisconsin. They match perfectly, and are in great shape. There’s nothing you can’t clean off of those fiberglass bad boys.
Flanking the fake Eames shell chair are two brown and chrome office chairs from the seventies. We purchased them from the Salvation Army for twenty dollars each. They smell a little bit like cat, but we’re hoping they’ll air out one day!
The IKEA lamp at the end of the couch will eventually make way for something better. Hopefully a nice end table and a nicer ceramic lamp when we find one that fits our fancy.
Overall, I love what we’ve done to the room. Its fun working together as a team and arguing over lamp shades. Its good for your marriage, you know.
This comes from a pattern book that I picked up at an estate sale today. I'm not sure which guy is cooler, the one with the pipe on the top left, or the nerdish guy on the bottom right. Oh wait the nerdish guy is nerdish AND he has a pipe. He wins.
Manly Vintage - This blog is dedicated to the manly and the vintage. We want to challenge the notion that 'manly men' don't care about design, style, fashion, and taste. With a focus on emphasizing the power of vintage style and finds, we intend to discuss and categorize the creature comforts of men.more →
