Finds

With another person soon to arrive in this house we are having to do some rearranging. In the spirit of things I have graciously donated my closet to the new arrival. I have been attempting to stuff its contents in other spots which has proven to be a frustrating task.

We happened to be out looking for a new computer desk, when I spotted my solution, a giant beautiful old armoire for only $160!! I have always wanted one but the typical $3,000 price tags are far outside of my armoire budget. I sat and stared at it for awhile wondering if it would fit in my room, trying to decide on whether or not to splurge. Then I opened it and saw little sign.



Yes, we are going to have a little girl, 95% sure we are anyway. Connor is still holding on to that 5% chance that he will get a little brother, but I think in time he will be very happy to have a sister. When I saw this little dress sitting on the shelf of the armoire I knew I had to have both. The first of many vintage dresses and a solution to my huge pile of sweaters without a home. It was a good day!

Some Goodies

Grandma did it again! She surprised me this last weekend with a bag full of goodies, actually three bags. She went digging through her house and found lots of treasures for me. A very lucky granddaughter I am to be the recipient of some wonderful vintage fabric, buttons, lace, beads... Here, just a few of my favorites:

The original price tag is still attached to that lace - 8 cents! Funny as I was typing this I started searching for the cents symbol on my keyboard, not there. Since just about everything now costs over $1 I guess we just don't need that symbol anymore. But I need it, for the first time in all my years of typing, to talk about that lace! The cents symbol is still on that old typewriter I have at work though.

Enough on that tangent. Thank you Grandma, your gift was so much fun for me to look through. As you can see someone else had fun looking too! We both have already started to envision what may come out of these three bags.

Something Oh So Special

I received a wonderful surprise this weekend, very old and I believe quite rare. This blanket/wall hanging is a gift from my grandma who recently stumbled upon it in her home. It was handed down from her mother, my nanny, and had originally belonged to the generation before hers. So all in all we think the blanket is over 200 years old.

It is hard to believe that it is that old considering the impeccable shape it is in. There are very few snags & the colors are still very vivid. The letters that make up the border are really unique. They appear to be Arabic, although, I am no language expert so could be completely off on that one. Maybe I will have to do a little investigating.


Everything about this blanket is intriguing: the patterns, the patterns within patterns, the double sided coloring effect... I did just sit and stare at it for quite awhile. I would like to keep it out to enjoy rather than wrapped up and protected in a box where I will never see it. Perhaps a corner of the room that does not get much sunlight (to avoid fading) or many visits from the cat (to avoid snags and thick clumps of white hair). I feel honored that my grandma would hand such a special heirloom down to me! This will mark the fifth generation (at least) of ownership. When I look at it I will think fond memories of both my grandma & my nanny. Thank you Grandma for such a thoughtful & special gift!

A Final Wedding

Saturday marked the last wedding of the season. We had quite a few to attend this summer, all very lovely. I suppose that as we enter our late 20s we will attend many more as all of our friends "mature" (we'll see).

And a new clutch for the event from this book. The fabric for both the outside and lining as well as the button all came from the same garage sale last weekend. It was one of those "jackpot" sales. The entire living room was stacked with fabric, the hallway filled with vintage buttons, trim, binding, thread... pretty much anything crafty you can imagine, even sparkly red pipe cleaners for Connor. The woman, an ex-interior designer, was getting rid of 99% of her pocessions (home included), buying a motor home and taking to the road. Wow!

Anyhow, farewell to our summer weddings. This last one was quite nice. It took place outside at the bride's parents' home: candles, lanterns, fresh outdoor air, and old friends that we have not seen in a long time. It reminded me alot of my own wedding - good memories.

Goodbye Summer, Hello Change

A very relaxing and much needed trip to Justin's family cabin marked the end of summer. The weekend was full of swimming, fishing, bonfires, lots of gooey marshmallows, and just plain relaxation with all three of my boys. Yes, Polk even got to come.

The cabin itself was just the quaintest little place nestled on a lake (love the retro kithchen floor).

Much thanks to Justin's family for sharing their getaway, enabling us to enjoy the last weekend of summer in such a wonderful place.

Endings mean new beginnings and with the end of our weekend came two tired boys...

and Connor's first day of Kindergarten!

I think the backpack is the same size as my little guy. This day is bittersweet for me. Connor is so excited to start school (and very ready), but I can't help wonder what happened to that little baby. Oh, I must be strong and let him grow up. Congratulations Connor! I know you have been looking forward to this day for a long time. What big changes for us all.