Helping displaced vintage treasures find their forever homes!

I grew up on Long Island in New York, into a family of thrift store junkies. My mother started us off, and my sisters and I have always enjoyed living with very few retail purchases. In turn I have passed the 'bug' on to my children, especially my daughter, who sells beautiful vintage women's wear and other things at advintagous.etsy.com.

Currently I live in a two story craftsman bungalow two blocks from the ocean. I planned to refurbish the house on my own, using my experience as a home renovator. As it happens, I met love-of-my-life-turned-husband David right after I purchased the wreck of a house in 2010. He is a woodworker and together we are (slowly) breathing new life into this forgotten beauty. You can see his shop and read all about him at thedavecave.etsy.com.

My Etsy shop is full of things that inspire me, that grab me, and I get so excited when someone else feels the same way and places an order! I pass over a lot of stuff that may be vintage, or even valuable, and choose instead the things that I want to look at every day. I would keep every one of these items if I had the space in my own home... I like happy and light hearted things: the funky, the functional, things that turn and click. I also love vintage fabrics – textiles, patterns, weaving, needlework. Not so much the 'grandma' vintage stuff – I lean more towards the James Bond or “I Dream of Jeannie” type. I sometimes choose things for their pop of modern color and other times I fall for finishes that are worn from time or handling.

One of the things I enjoy the most, believe it or not, is the cleaning. Some pieces have a patina and personality from age that is fine just as it is. But a lot of things are beautifully preserved like hidden treasures, waiting for a good work-over. I have an assortment of cleaners, little brushes, oils, and secret techniques that, along with some good elbow grease have turned lumps of coal into diamonds at my studio sink. None of my listings will ever say “this item could use a good cleaning”, I promise you! Another favorite is lamps... each of which is taken apart, cleaned and re-wired with a new socket so you can enjoy the vintage beauty as if it was brand new.

But that's just a part of who I am - I'm also an artist looking for inspiration … aren't we all? Recently a small cottage came available to rent just a stone's throw from our home, and I moved my Etsy shop and art studio in there. The convenient location has saved me so much time and mental effort that I am finally able to pursue my dream of creating original pieces to feature in the shop. You will soon see a section entitled “assembled / upcycled” which is that dream become reality. I take inspiration from a found object – a piece of hardware or an old wooden box for example. Then, pulling from a collection of other random stuff that I have collected, I assemble a completed piece. I like it best if it has a function (think 'lighted shelf' or 'end table with storage'). I am just starting out on this adventure and haven't yet sold one thing that I've made, but I'm having fun and that's what counts!!

The name Heartkeyologie was something that we came up with because one of the first things David did for after I met him was make keys for the house. A heart plus a key, as a symbol of all the things that are floating around this world that haven't yet found exactly where they belong. Maybe I'm a romantic, but I like to think I am rescuing some of them, and sending them to a place where they will be loved.