Favorite Vintage Find #2 - The Whiskey Label Lot.

I love drinking whiskey. I love taking in the smell of a freshly poured glass of whiskey, on the rocks (just 1 ice cube, please). It's actually quite relaxing--and enjoyable.

Labels, lots and lots of labels.

On a recent trip to the Oregon coast, Jody and I visited a local antique mall (surprisingly void of shoppers). After a few minutes of private perusing, we happened upon a huge lot of unused, vintage whiskey labels. I was instantly drawn to how amazingly cool the fonts and colors were:

I scooped up the entire lot and happily paid the modest asking price. Honestly, I had no idea what I was going to do with them. But they were simply too beautiful to pass up. And when it comes to vintage finds, I go with my gut.

Eventually, I sold them all through my Etsy shop. I was sad to see them go. If I ever find more, I'm keeping them. Aside from being extremely collectible, they'd make great little framed art pieces.

Do you have a favorite vintage item that you've lost (or sold) over the years?

Vintage Garage Finds Under $25.

Tennis rackets, from Circle The Square.

Unopened can of Wilson tennis balls, from Estate Hound.

Oil can, from White House Grey Barn.

Pair of wrenches, from Bright Wall.

Metal toolbox, from Basic Brown.

P-Push It Real Good.

Vintage salt and pepper shakers, from Tom Laurus.

Favorite Vintage Find #1 - The Paymaster Check Imprinter.

Most of my Goodwill treasure hunts are fruitless. Piles upon piles of Ikea leftovers, stacks of outdated picture frames and mounds of throwaway office and computer junk typically dominate the shelves. But every once and a while, a diamond is unearthed.

Does vintage get any more beautiful than this?

Meet my diamond--the Paymaster check imprinting machine. Virtually unused, scratch-free and brilliantly aqua, this beauty instantly caught my eye. In an ecstatic and somewhat anxious state, I swooped her up in my arms and sprinted to the register. The Paymaster was mine!

Have you had a similar treasure hunting experience? What's your favorite vintage find?

Vintage Kitchen Finds Under $25.

Fondue forks, from The Vintage Apartment.

Enamel sauce pans, from The Wishing Wardrobe.

Refrigerator magnet, from Vintage Woods.

Plastic egg cup set, from Mister True.

Griffith's milk glass spice jar set, from Suesuegonzalas.

Are you a fan of retro, vintage awesomeness? If so, tweet us your favorite vintage Etsy finds @blackbirdtees. We love discovering new, er um, old things!

Part of our week-long "A Vintage Life" series. More vintage goodies all week!

Theme Of The Week: A Vintage Life.

I've always been drawn to vintage. In high school, argyle v-necks and shinny wingtips were my fashion weapons of choice. I was basically a 17 year-old version of Kramer. I even got my hair permed! But that's a story for another day...

The infamous "Kramer" painting.

These days, my love for vintage is bordering on obsession. My apartment is filled with vintage treasures: office supplies, kitchen doodads and various off-the-wall furniture finds--many of which are still highly functional. To me, there's nothing better than vintage chrome, steel or faux wood. Give me something old...something with a story to tell.

Vintage Seth Thomas speed read clock, from The Fancy Lamb.

So out with the new, in with the old! This week, we're celebrating everything vintage. We'll bring you budget-friendly finds for the kitchen, bathroom, living room, garage and more--all for under $25 bucks! We'll even share a few of our all-time favorite thrift store vintage finds. Trust us, if you're a fan of vintage, you don't want to miss a single minute!

Have you spotted an awesome vintage item on Etsy? If so, tweet us the link @blackbirdtees. We may feature it in this week's vintage series!

Shop Profile: Le Animale.

"Walralope" Moleskine notebook, from Le Animale.

We love "Le Animale". Self-described as quirky, fun and unique, Le Animale's shop features one-of-a-kind notebooks, animal art, miniatures and more. And even if you don't know what a "walralope" is, we're pretty sure you'll find something you love. Trust us, there's awesomeness abound in this shop!

This Is Not A Test.

Guinea pig brooch, from Memo Shop.

The Magnificent Seven (Cats).

Salvaged cast iron coat hanger, from Monkey and Squirrel.

Under The Sea.

Tentacles screen print, from New Duds.

Dear Deer.

Mixed media deer art, from Coco de Paris.

Into The Wild.

Screenprinted leggings, from Naki Muli.

Helping Hands.

Animal hands, original painting, from Gennebra.

Cuteness, Unearthed.

Tiny sculpted mole (with mittens), from Corduroy.

Vintage Meow.

Vintage calico cat figurine, from My Little Thrift Store.

Theme Of The Week: Animal-Friendly Finds.

Bison necklace, from Meg J. Roberts.

Nothing deep or philosophical here, we simply love animals. Perhaps more importantly though, we're inspired by animals. Imagery of woodland creatures like owls, squirrels, birds and bunnies are prevalent within the handmade universe. And in the art world, dogs and cats are frequent, beloved subjects. Even the not-so-cute animals like alligators, armadillos and snakes make the occasional appearance.

This week, we're flipping on the instinctual switch and harnessing our inner beast. That's right, we're going all animal. It's time to celebrate the creatures and critters of the world--and more specifically, the incredible creations they inspire.

So stay tuned for our week-long lovable, enlightening (and in some cases, furry) crop of "Animal-Friendly Finds". Have a great week, everyone!

3-Day Weekend.

Station wagon photograph, from Jessi Retro.

It's a 3-day weekend, ya'll. The sun is officially out. Time to get outta town, soak up the rays and reset your brain. So take a camping trip, shop in a nearby town, go to the pool--in short, do something relaxing this weekend!

Don't Stop.

Blind contour drawing, from Jenn Lawrence.

Art lovers, rejoice! This blind contour drawing, from Jenn Lawrence, is about as uniquely awesome as a Kanye West song. Speaking of Kanye, he's about to release another groundbreaking album.

Part of our "Featherette Favorites" series. More fabulous finds all this week!

Coffee Table Neighborhood.

Embroidered coasters/bookmarks, from Monika Design.

Look Into My Eyes.

Vintage Mikasa serving plates, from Modern Vintage.

Rebel, Rebel.

"Star Wars" Princess Leia action figure, from Born In The 70's.

Valley Of The Dolls.

Wooden nesting dolls, from Mooshoo Pork.

Post-It-Mortem.

Chalkboard skull, from I Am Home.

Theme Of The Week: Featherette Favorites, Part VI.

Custom map portrait, from Map Portraits.

Like any great sequel-driven movie, we're taking it one step further. Think less "Fast and the Furious" and more "Harry Potter", here... And while our "Featherette Favorites" series may not be as recognizable (and wildly successful) as J.K. Rowling's money-making machine, we do think we've stumbled upon quite a few inspirational finds.

So without further ado, we bring you Part VI of our "Featherette Favorites" series! Enjoy--and have a wonderful week!

Hit Me With Your Best Shot.

Set of 5 wooden arrows, from Verla Ivans.

And Eat It Too.

Strawberry summer cake (photo from the "Pasty Studio" blog).

This cake looks absolutely delicious! In fact, drool is slowly trickling down our chins as we browse the "Pastry Studio" blog. Pastries, tarts, cakes, cookies, confections...oh my! And recipes to boot!

Perhaps what we love most about this particular recipe, is the attention to details--a "smidgen" of semolina (for texture), homemade ricotta (for the cream) and olive oil (to moisten the cake), to name a few.

So grab yourself a paper towel, wipe the drool off your face and pay a visit to the "Pastry Studio". Be sure to check out the recipe, here, too!

Have Your Cake.

Paper cake slice favor box, from Imeondesign.

Where It Starts And Ends.

"Sunset Through Weeds" photograph, from Jude McConkey.

Herbs Of Summer.

Organic sweet marjoram seeds, from Cubits.

Hangin' Out.

Embroidered felt necklace, from Phyllis and Hazel.

Summer Sweetness.

Mint chip lollipop, from Mihow.

In The Light.

"Prism No. 2" giclee print, from Dig The Earth.

To The Pool.

"You First" print, from Kiki and Polly.

Theme Of The Week: Summer Finds.

Red suspender sleeves, from Moon Halo.

Summer is upon us. Beaches and swimming pools await travelers. Fashion trends are morphing, as jeans are slowly being replaced with shorts and skirts. The weather is rapidly heating up. Vacations are being planned. In short, here comes the sun...

Art For The Hirsute Dad.

"The Illustrated Man", from The Black Apple.

"The Captain" silhouette print, from The Little Chickadee.

"Barnard", from Ashley G.

"In My Own Way" print, from Sadly Harmless.

Dads have hair in weird places: the back, the shoulders, even inside the ears. But we shouldn't condemn our hairy dads. Nay, I say! They are simply the victims of an evolutionary oddity. I mean seriously, why would anyone need hair on their shoulders?

It's time to honor the hirsute dads of this world! And to those dads sporting mustaches and beards for decades upon decades, we salute you. For you, my friends, are the true pioneers.

Part of our "Gifts For Dad" series. Father's Day is this Sunday--be sure to give your hairy dad a big 'ol hug!

Dad's Best Friend.

Hand-painted plate, from Jimbob Art.

Part of our week long "Gifts For Dad" series. More fatherly finds all this week!