Small House by the Sea

Flea Market finds: California Girl Edition

2012-01-22T00:15:00.000-08:00

It's been so long since I've posted anything at all...

but of course I had to start with my most recent flea market finds! ;)

This vintage "exercise equipment" threw me

for a loop when I first saw it.

Well, that's after I looked inside first to see what hand grips were.

(Seriously. Had no clue.)

It's so perfectly "retro" looking, I sort of wasn't sure

wether it was truly old, or a modern jokey gag-gift type of thing.

D'you know what I mean?

This skip rope section on the exercise poster

that was included made me giggle.

Correction.

The drawing of Mr. Studly skipping rope made me giggle.

Hand grips! ;)

Maybe this guy used a pair of those.

I really like this picture--

what a scene!

Awwwwww.

While still being kind of odd...and funny.

A great example of books I would never read,

but bought purely for the covers.

Pretty bad for a one-time English major.

Another find in the book category,

this one a 1930's book of fairy tales.

Who doesn't love fairytales??

And the illustrations inside are truly gorgeous.

Please pardon slightly excessive photos below.

I always love children's items.

Vintage blankets, toys, clothes...

so much of it is just so charming.

I am beginning to show a bit of a weakness

for old tea set pieces.

Something that I like also are old school-related items--

flashcards, workbooks, that sort of thing.

I love this vintage shabby tray...

...and the price was great--$2!

Some Munising bowls, which I had actually never heard of...

but there was something really lovely about them.

I read that they stopped being made in 1955.

These old doorknobs were too pretty,

and too inexpensive, to pass up.

Even with all the rust and paint on them.

I kind of like them that way :)

Case in point:

this very rusty old Ghiradelli chocolate tin.

It didn't deter me!

These shoes I found at the flea aren't old, but they do have

a vintage flair.

They're my new favorite "dressy-therefore-I-won't-wear-them-much"

pair of shoes.

My other new favorite thing is finding things to

paint and shabbify.

For example, this wooden notes & keys sign.

I loved the typography,

but I didn't like the dark wood.

Since it was only a dollar, I figured a stab

at upcycling was worth a shot.

So I painted it white...

and pondered and pondered wether to place this

metal adornment on...

before deciding I liked it without.

I am not being dramatic when I say my creative/crafty

skills are severely deficient in...talent.

But I liked how it turned out :)

Excluding the sign above,

all of these vintage items were found in California,

while we were visiting for the holidays.

This is my very favorite find from that trip!

I collect vintage statuettes of the Virgin Mary,

as a nod to my Grandma Rosa, who I was extremely close

to as a child. She did the same thing.

Although I am not a traditionally religious person, I find

certain ones really lovely and even fascinating.

This wooden sculpture was originally a dark blonde wood.

I wasn't sure wether to paint it,

because it had a very 50's/60's look to it,

if that makes any sense.

But being on a shabby-chippy streak lately, I had to try.

I didn't like it at first, not until I added this equally shabby tiara.

For some reason that seemed just the thing she needed.

Now it is on my nightstand with all of my other statuettes.

For more flea market and thrift store finds visit:
Her Library Adventures

(One of my favorite blogs!)

Reasons I love Thrifting #1: $2 art

2011-12-04T15:12:00.000-08:00

Whew!

I feel like I've just now caught my breath and had a minute's time

to sit and post a few of my past thrifting finds.

My kids have been sick, which (blessedly!) hardly ever happens...

but all three being fairly sick recently was a little tough! :)

Luckily everyone is feeling better now!

One of my favorite things to find in terms of vintage

is home decor. I love the unique look that old items bring,

often quirky and beautiful at the same time.

Case in point: this vintage lucite dish.

I love the organic shape, and the butterfly, flowers, and fern

preserved inside.

In the same nature-inspired vein is this shabby-pretty bird cage.

But my favorite home-decor find from the past few

weeks is this handmade art that I found for $2.

At first, I wasn't too sure about it.

Although it caught my attention immediately,

I had a long "hmmm...." in which I circled around

the store and pondered it for all of one minute.

Then I told myself, "Are you crazy? It's two dollars!"

and got it.

It's a great size--18x24--and I have to say, I like it

just as it is, with the gray frame and all.

What you may not be able to see from the pics too well

is that this is a collage, made with what appears to be tissue paper

and other papers. Up close, you can see all the lovely layers

and little rips and tears and other "artsiness."

I looked up the artist, but couldn't find any info at all.

The more I look at it, the more I find to like :)

I REALLY love vintage linens,

but trying to get a good picture of them is hard.

So, these photos don't show off the beauty of this

soft gray and pink tablecloth all that well,

but maybe you'll get an idea!

I've never found a vintage tablecloth this large

and that is in such good condition.

Not that it is unusually large...I just never seem to

find tablecloths!

This vintage kitchen towel is one of the cutest I've ever seen!

Isn't it adorable?

Other finds:

A salt-and-pepper set depicting the RCA dog...

A 70's Goebel figurine...

A tin with fiddling and dancing gnomes...

(hee hee!)

A vintage drinking tray...

An old pincushion...

Christmas stuff! I thought this somewhat odd

pair of pants with the back that opens up

was cute...it was with a box of stockings,

so I'm guessing it's meant to be used as one.

I found this one at the same place.

I always love vintage baby keepsake books.

So so so sweet.

It's hard to see the cover in this pic,

but it has a silvery tree with a baby sitting under it,

and the words "Wee Me."

Weren't the illustrations the cutest?

A cute trivet.

Even though I don't know how to sew/crochet myself,

I loved these old books.

Such sweet little sweaters!

I like this one with the scotty dogs.

Although some of the items do cross the line from cute

to slightly creepy.

Like these.

The outfit on little man is definitely a little odd from

a modern perspective.

And the little girl's coat seems so short!

This little carriage set, however, is precious all around.

I can imagine how proud a mama felt back then,

pushing her new baby in one of those cute old prams

with baby dressed in all this finery!

A set of vintage baby bibs...

And some old books.

First is this one by Judson Jerome,

a children's book titled "I Never Saw..."

It turned out to be signed by the author!

The story itself is very poetic,

with really neat illustrations--

The other book was this one, "The Wonder Book of the Air."

Neat photographs, and I love that it includes a "Women in Aviation" section.

Looking forward to seeing what everyone else found

at Her Library Adventures!

Newest Finds

2011-11-14T03:35:00.000-08:00

Hello!

I'll be leaving in about 3 hours to go pick up my boys

from their visit to California to see my parents.

I haven't gone to bed yet...good thing the hubby is driving!

Still, I'll keep it short and sweet.

(At least, that's the plan.)

Beginning with my hoarder items.

"Hoarder items" are what I term those items that are so marvelously cheap

and so enticing they can't be left behind.

The sort of things that can easy get out of hand, because there's only so many

uses for such things...

but I'm not there yet ;)

Some of what I found this past week:

a folding ruler, some old dominoes, and a random little collection of animals.

The animals, at 25c for all, is the "hoarder item."

But really, who could leave such treasure behind? :)

The same goes with this vintage tinsel, at 10c.

With the illustrations on the back, it was too cute and cheap to leave.

Another hoarder item.

These are vintage napkin rings.

I mean, what am I going to do with them---?

But they're cute.

This Good Housekeeping Book is from the 40's.

I love the pictures inside.

I always like these vintage French canister jars.

I'm also a little gaga for apothecary jars.

Some cute silhouette napkins, 4 altogether.

Something about this book called to me.

(Okay that was bad.)

I was happy to find a first edition of this classic book

at a church rummage sale.

I gave it to my husband.

This angel is so cute

and the painting and artwork on her is beautiful.

We're headed to kitschy-land now...

A super-neon, super-groovy oven mitt.

Some more kitschy brightness.

(Incidentally, I think reading this super-adorable and fun blog

is making me crave more bright cheerful vintage.

I love Danielle's style!)

This pillow seemed chevron-ish to me,

and loved the bright colors.

A sweet plate.

And it was taken on my favorite find of the week!

A little, bright blue nightstand.

Here's what I love about it:

I've been looking for one sporadically,

so that I could take photos of my shop items on it.

Something about this just stood out.

(Hmmm, maybe the insanely blue color?)

I was going to paint it a more neutral color,

but for now I think I'll leave it as is...

I like it.

Hope you have a great start to your week!

For more fun finds, visit Her Library Adventures.

Newest finds, and my vintage find of the YEAR!

2011-11-06T00:35:00.000-07:00

Hi friends! I have some thrifting goodies

to share with you, as usual...and I will also be sharing

my favorite thrift find of the year!

The lovely Sophie of Her Library Adventures is having a favorite thrift find

of the year linky party and contest.

To be honest, I'm not sure what my favorite find has been this year!

We shall see...

For now, here are some of my recent finds...beginning with Christmas items:

This vintage felt Santa is adorable.

He's so cheerful looking, isn't he?

This Santa, on the other hand, looks vaguely frightened.

It's the sweetest toy, and jingles merrily.

My grandma used to have a wind-up Santa on a bike

very similar to this one, when I was little.

This McCall's magazine was filled with the cutest crafts and illustrations.

This page of little toys is my favorite!

A darling banner.

Some shimmery vintage strawberry ornaments.

A kitschy little nativity.

The art and graphic design on this book is cool!

Now on to some non-Christmasy things...

A lovely table runner.

Some hand-painted cups.

Very nifty owl candle holder.

Can you believe this little oilcloth cat? Precious.

I loved the cover on this book.

My favorite finds from this week were these vintage shoes.

The color of these heels is beautiful.

Now, for my favorite find of the year...

Initially, I was going to pick this:

Because I really love vintage children's items--

be it clothing, blankets, toys, etc!

I think I'll have to go with the box of old matches that I

found here in Oregon, though.

I've never been particularly drawn to vintage matchbooks,

but once I looked through the box a little and saw

the amazing graphics and history on them, I had to buy them.

Here are some with soda brands on them...

pin-up type girls...

kitschy and colorful

The names back then, huh? T-Bone Cafe,

the Toot & Tell Drive in, Bunny's Waffle Shop.

There are all similar in color...

look at those graphics!

I actually didn't know why anyone had kept these so long.

When I asked said as much to my husband, he told me

some people back then collected them as souvenirs.

I'd had no idea!

They are just so interesting.

This one was rather surprising.

They are so classically vintage, I would've thought they were reproductions.

Guess how much they cost?

Yep. $2.00 for the whole box.

Crazy!

I hope you enjoyed stopping by!

For more fun finds, stop by:

Her Library Adventures

Apron Thrift Girl

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T01:51:00.000-07:00

Hi!

I hope you had a great time trick-or-treating!

We got home fairly early, which was nice.

This is probably the calmest Halloween Nate and I will have

in a long time--since the boys are gone.

And it's the first where I haven't either been pregnant

or had a pretty young baby with us.

Whoulda thought that day would ever come? ;)

But seriously! Look:

2007--Addie had just been born (she was born the 15th)

2008--Jake had just been born, he was 2 months old

2009--I was 7 months pregnant with Liam

2010--Liam was 9 months old

Growing up--sniff! :)

Here are some pictures from this Halloween:

This was actually a week ago...helping Daddy with the pumpkin carving.

I think he did a great job!

(Nate I mean. Not Liam "carving" with his teeth.)

All proper, with the lights off:

The kids goofing off.

The boys got more pumpkin action in once down in California:

With my mom.

Bat boys!

Here they are in there costumes...

a race car driver and a fireman.

Believe me, these boys are being spoiled

beyond rotten down in California.

This is Addie in her wearing her witch sweater

for school this morning.

These next few pics are from Saturday.

We went to the "Creatures of the Day" even at the Oregon Coast aquarium.

They had it all decked out for Halloween, it was really fun!

They had games for the kids to play, face painting, etc.

They also had a Creatures of the Night event for older kids,

where things got much scarier with ax-murderers and the like.

They were even going to have scuba divers in costumes for that.

Cool huh?! :) An aquarium haunted house!

The jellyfish always fascinate me.

I thought it was cute they even had Jack o' Lanterns in the tanks.

After that, we walked around a bit.

Of course we had to nab another cut-out board picture for our collection.

We also walked out on a very long pier

that we'd always wanted to go on, near the bridge to Newport.

That was fun.

These pictures of Addie are from today.

Er--yesterday, technically :)

Halloween.

I made this blingy badge for her,

just in case someone didn't know what she was.

Plus, who wouldn't want a cool private eye badge like that? ;-p

Before heading to an event in Newport,

we stopped by to trick-or-treat with Uncle Jason...

he gave Addie all the candy.

He's so funny.

Stopped by Noni and Poppi's house, too, of course.

We decided to go to "Decoween" for Addie

to trick-or-treat.

It was held in Newport's Deco District, which the vintage-lover

in me found totally cool, of course.

The businesses in that area were handing out candy

for all the kiddos.

The first place we went in was SO cute.

They had a Sesame Street theme,

and we went into a funhouse-type of thing

that ended with us in a room where an episode of Sesame Street

was playing...

...once there, the kids got candy and a Sesame Street book.

She was in heaven.

Of course, some people she found a little less approachable.

She actually surprised us a little, with how shy she was being.

But she had a great time.

We were a little surprised to see that one of the businesses

handing out candy was a bar.

We joked about how it was her first visit to one,

at the tender age of 4.

Hey, when it comes to candy,

you gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Hope you had a fantastic night!

"Online Thrifting"

2011-10-31T01:52:00.000-07:00

So this is what I do when I should be sleeping

(or at the very least, listing items in my shop):

I troll shopgoodwill.com and do some virtual pretend shopping.

Their prices are actually quite reasonable (well, their starting prices I mean,

as they are all auctions).

I love to look for all things vintage on there,

especially vintage paintings.

Some pretty unique things come up on there

every so often, but I've never bought anything.

Here are some things on there right now

that caught my eye!

I love portraits of children.

They are so sweet!

This little girl is just adorable.

Her smile and gleam in her eye

reminds me of Addie :)

This little boy is a cutie, too.

And his hat reminds me of the vintage

child's cowboy hat that I found recently.

I found more such vintage ones at

the thrift store recently, but I didn't buy them!

Willpower, I tell you.

Pure willpower.

This one is a bit strange, isn't it?

But at the same time, I like its quirkiness.

The locket she wears is so classic.

Love the vintage linen lots on there.

Strawberry Shortcake bedroom set.

I would seriously consider this theme if Addie

had her own room :)

A crocheted afghan that I like, for some reason.

And THIS! I just love this patchwork blanket!

I think this one warrants a bid.

Those are just some of the things I'm liking on there right now!

★newest finds!★

2011-10-30T00:11:00.000-07:00

Hi!

Like a good thrifter, I got my time at the local shops in :)

Here is some of what I found this week:

This is my most favorite recent find--

a vintage Lanz dress.

The color is so pretty in person, a sort of

peachy-pinky-red.

I love the button details on it, such as at the sleeves...

and a little row at the shoulder.

Super cute.

I also found this dress.

It's sort of Wednesday Addams, but I like it!

A vintage baby blanket.

I will never tire of cute little baby blankets

with all their homemade details :)

Lastly, these vintage paintings, both of the same woman.

There is no writing on the backs,

and only one is signed.

As always, I have to wonder--

who was the subject, why were they painted,

who held onto this piece for so long?

What was their life like?

I shall never tire of vintage paintings, either :)

Yay, Halloween is almost here!

My daughter is going to be a detective.

This is a picture of us from today.

The local aquarium was having a special Halloween event.

We are standing by a mad scientist laboratory, lol.

Knowing me, I probably won't post again before then--

hope you all have a happy and safe Halloween!

And if you're in the mood for a "spook,"

take a look at my earlier post where I share some e.v.p's

my husband and I captured.

I'd love to know what you make of them!

Don't forget to visit all the fun thrift finds here!:
Her Library Adventures
Apron Thrift Girl

☽Spooky post: voices in the dark☾

2011-10-29T23:41:00.000-07:00

(source: graphics fairy)

It seems so hard to believe that Halloween is almost here!

I always did love Halloween as a child, but I guess what child doesn't? :)

Where things may be different is that even past childhood, my interest

in things like ghosts never waned. I was always fascinated by stories
about them, especially so, I think, because of a strange experience
my grandma Rosa had. Hearing about what had occurred, coupled with
the fact that my grandma was a somewhat no-nonsense, traditional, and
religious woman, made me believe that what she'd said was true.
In a way, it made me even more open to that sort of thing.

Although the subject of ghosts always piqued my interest,
it wasn't something I ever made an effort to research or actively look into.
It wasn't until I found out that my friend (now husband) Nate was also curious
about such matters that that changed.

(this and all following photos my own)

Perhaps anyone even mildly interested in the paranormal
(especially with the shows on t.v. these days)
knows what an E.V.P. is.
That's what we decided to try and do.
Fairly simple--a voice recorder, a camera, and walking around a cemetery.
In theory it sounded exciting, but once we got to the cemetery--oh my!
I was really apprehensive. I wasn't afraid of anything happening,
but this particular cemetery sat far back from the entrance gate.
There was a grove of trees in the middle, and most of the headstones were under them.
I remember being literally dragged by Nate into the middle of it, ha ha!
Yet once we were there and I started taking photographs,
that extremely creepy feeling left me.
I became absorbed into looking at the headstones and wondering about
the individuals buried there.

We never caught anything at that particular place.
It wasn't until we made the trek to another little country cemetery
that we actually began to capture voices on our recordings.
It was equally intriguing and freakish to find them.
I had always believed ghosts to be real; but this--this really sealed it.

Now, with Halloween almost here, it's the perfect time to share some of the E.V.P.s we captured :)
I'm not trying to convince anyone about what these are or aren't.
They're simply some things two curious people picked up while wandering
around an old cemetery at night.
They are real, and except for being amplified and removed of background noise, unedited.

We visited this paricular cemetery over many years.
We didn't get something every time we went--in fact, most
of the time we got nothing.
As I mentioned, looking at the headstones and reading
the information on them really made me feel for those buried there.
Two graves in particular caught my attention at this cemetery.
They were side by side, and belonged to what I assume was a brother and sister.
Both had died very young, in their early twenties, and both of their graves
had the terrible word "accident" on them.
Maybe it's just me, but it made me sad to think that their final resting place was associated
with the sad way they'd passed.
Frequently I would go to the female's grave, whose first name was Kathleen,
and talk aloud to her.

In this first recording, I am there with my husband and my nephew Kalyn.
We had just seen something interesting in one of the pictures,
and I ask wether it was "Will" (more about him later) or Kathleen.
A bit after I ask the question, you can hear the word "crying."
You also hear what sounds like my nephew saying "Don't go, I'm cold."
Although the voice sounds similar to his, no one remembers him saying that.
(All the clips are played, repeated/amplified, and then played backward.)
Listen to it HERE.

In the next clip, my husband is talking aloud
when a voice interjects something after him.
(It says "You" after he speaks and before I do)
Listen HERE.

In this one, Nate and I are talking about a photo he just took.
I say something like, "That would be spooky if you didn't conclude--"
What I'm referring to is the fact that the photo would've been odd, had we not known
that it was simply his breath showing up in the cold night air.
There are actually two voices in this one, and they seem to be talking
about our picture-taking.
The first voice sounds like it says "You show up."
The second says, "You show up in the picture."
Listen HERE.

There are lots of things I'm not even getting into concerning this place
and the evp's. captured there, the ones here included.
There was a lot of voice mimicking going on,
things where it would sound really close to one of our voices,
but it wasn't us speaking at the time.

This cemetery was literally out in the middle of nowhere.
There was nothing nearby, and the only noise or activity
we'd witness was the occasional car that would pass by.
How these sounds could have gotten there "rationally," I have no idea.

I'll close by sharing the story of Will.
As your heard, we reference someone named Will in the evp's.
Will was the other "personality" that we would actively "look" for.

We came across his headstone on one of our first few visits there,
and my husband was taking photographs of it.
As he was doing so, Nate cheekily remarked,
"This headstone looks like a phallus."
He snapped another photo, and the next thing I heard out of his mouth was
one of shock and surprise (and also starts with an "s").
He showed me the picture, and it was one of the headstone
with a bright red light just above it.
Without anything being said, I immediately understood
that whoever the headstone belonged to, they were not happy about what he'd said!
Here are the photographs in succession--
one before he made the comment, one right after he said it,
and one a few seconds after.
I have no explanation for that light.
There were no lights out there, and we never caught anything like that again.

And yes, my hubby is a total dork ;)
Leave it to him to possibly insult someone from beyond the grave! ;p

So, what do you think?
Do you have any explanations for those voices?
Have you ever had a "spooky" experience?
I'd love to know!

Oh, and of course--

➘Newest Treasures↩

2011-10-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Hi fellow vintage lovers!

I've been busy working on my etsy shop, now that my boys are visiting

grandma and grandpa for a few weeks.

Sigh! I miss them!

At the same time, it's nice to be able to list more than one thing a week.

I found some new things this past week, and

I'm beginning to photograph things I already had.

Here's a few of both.

These small figurines are a past buy,

waiting for their chance in the limelight.

Hopefully I can get them listed tonight :)

Some vintage mailing labels.

Even the ink looks cool and "vintage," you know?

With Halloween in the air,

I couldn't resist this cute book from the 60's.

It includes magic tricks kids can do,

like "Electric Cat."

That made me smile.

I found this original art in a thrift shop.

I love the bright yellow sunniness of it.

I LOVE yellow kitchens, too.

The recipe on it is for a dessert featuring

Camembert, dry white wine, "very fine" toast crumbs, and sweet butter.

"Serve with red wine and French bread..."

Oh la-la ;)

Continuing the cheerful yellow theme are these

Japanese stoneware mugs.

I've been finding some really fun

kid's things, like these fabrics--

...and these 60's/70's patterns.

I loved this shamrock pin as soon as I saw it!

Although I'm not too sure about why it was preserved.

Any ideas?

I love the scalloping on the side.

I love vintage bags, but I never find any--

or at least, none in good condition.

This one is from the 70's is in excellent shape and looks so

modern to me. Super cute.

Now, at all the thrift stores/flea markets/garage sales

I go to, I hardly ever look at clothing or such for myself.

I think this is partly because it takes too long to look through the

clothing racks (I take forever), and partly because I want to avoid the

whole lack-of-style thing I got going on right now, lol!

But, due much to the fact that I've been reading some

great thrift-style blogs lately (Harper's Happenings, Iris Inspired),

I wanted to see what I could find if I actually tried.

The first thing I found is this Jessica Simpson bag,

which looked like it hadn't been used.

I love the style, and the two roomy pockets in front.

This was $3.99.

These Kenneth Cole heels are so kittenish and cute!

I love the color...

The little heels...comfy!...

And the cutouts on the front.

$5.99.

Most of these items are on their way to my shop.

If you have an etsy shop, feel free to leave a link to it in the comments!

I'd love to stop by and take a look!

For more thrifty finds, stop by

Her Library Adventures

and
Apron Thrift Girl

✸Newest treasure✸

2011-10-17T22:25:00.000-07:00

Before I get to my treasures, I want to share a pic of my REAL treasure :)

Addie. She turned 4 on Saturday.

All day she kept saying, "I love my birthday!"

It was so cute.

Too bad all that excitement made for few pictures in which she held still.

This is the best one I got, lol.

I made the cake batter pancakes I'd spied online

recently and the kids really liked them.

This was a really fun treat.

I give it two thumbs up as a birthday breakfast :)

Now to get to the vintage...

There was definitely a red dress vibe calling out to me,

I guess. I found three red vintage dresses--

This Christmasy plaid one...

(I like how it buttons)

This 60's or 70's one...

And this polka-dotted one.

I am going to put them all in the shop.

This bag I found to be very sweet.

I loved the pattern with the sunflowers

and other flowers on it.

I also bought this jar full of vintage fabric strips.

I love time-capsule finds like that.

Some of the fabrics seen below.

I've slowly become more and more enchanted with vintage fabrics!

It's chock-full! :)

The last thing I'll share is an old painting I bought.

Well, who knows how old it really is, but it has

that aged patina on it that I love.

It's of a swan floating on a lake.

Autumn, it appears to be.

It's pretty worn, as you can see.

It's got tears and missing paint,

but I love it.

Linking up to

Her Library Adventures

and

Apron Thrift Girl

angel face.

2011-10-15T01:42:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th Birthday, Princess.

♥Thrift Store Finds♥

2011-10-09T21:57:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm excited to share this week's thrifting finds...

here they are:

I got all this from two thrift stores and one estate sale.

At one of the thrift stores, I bought (among other things)

four straw hats.

I felt a little embarassed, ha ha!

Like the clerk would think I was the crazy hat lady or something.

But oh well!

The first one I found to be very cute because it had

"Ponderosa Ranch" stitched on it.

It looked old and so charming in a way!

Looking into it, it seems to be from the 50's.

I found this child's sheriff dress-up hat

to be just as cute!

It has a string so it can be tied on.

Darling.

This is my new beach hat.

I never wore hats in California,

but there is something about the beach that demands one.

I found one for Addie too, so we can glue pretty things on it

and call it her "Fancy Nancy" hat.

This lunchbox was a great find, I think it is so adorable.

I can see why people would want to collect them.

Vintage cardboard birthday plates.

With a bit of the original package.

Bright and cheerful.

I love this vintage baby book for the illustrations.

I found an amazing one a while back that was similar,

except for a girl.

I've been finding a lot of "tinnage" lately :)

A vintage English candy tin--

love the bright colors!

...and even the scuffed bottom.

This small tin tray was way cool.

And a chocolate "Pollywogs" candy tin.

What a funny name for candy, huh? :)

This large serving plate by Mikasa caught my eye immediately.

Love the pattern.

A Fondue dish towel.

This I found to be really somewhat strange and quirky.

A craft kit containing a Madonna head and plastic arms,

with instructions.

At the estate sale, we found a few of each kind

of these mason jars.

I love them.

Also there, these large old drawings.

The one of the woman seemed especially intriguing.

I like the detail used in drawing her clothing,

it's really beautiful.

An old owl pendant, with "Sue" engraved on it.

Even though my name isn't Sue...I still dig it ;)

I think I'll put it on a chain with some other baubles

to sell in my shop.

While we're on the subject of owls, here are two more I bought.

Not named Sue, but still gold and still lovely.

They are ceramic, about 10 inches tall.

What a lovely pair, don't you agree?

That's it for me.

Hope you had fun thrifting this week!

For a look at more fun finds, stop by Her Library Adventures!

Thrift Store Finds

2011-10-02T23:05:00.000-07:00

This week took me to a thrift store I haven't been to yet in my area (yes, there are a few of those actually left). It was called the "Pick of the Litter Thrift Store," and it was one of those real-deal thrift stores that seem harder to find...for me, anyway. You know, the type that are just crammed full of stuff, a tad poorly lit, tucked into a little corner or unexpected place in town...and the prices are just so cheap. That's how this store was. As soon as I walked in, I just knew I could spend hours there pouring over all the sections, searching for treasures. My hubby and sons were waiting in the car for me, so I didn't have much time, but I managed to find some pretty fun stuff.

I'll start with some cute baby/kid type items.

This vintage Charlotte Becker print is so perfectly shabby chic.

I loved it immediately.

I think it'd look darling in a nursery.

Same goes for this sweet little lamb.

This old crayon holder was a must-get.

This old souvenir toy is so charming, to me :)

I also found this slightly kitschy plate

with the "Chandelier Drive Thru Tree"

on it.

I'm a California girl, so I guess I really couldn't pass up

on the retro CA souvenirs ;)

I liked this Avon "Small World" cologne bottle.

It kind of reminded me of Gwen Stefani's Harijuku Lover's perfumes,

shaped like those little dolls.

I'm just wondering, am I the only one who buys

things that are perfectly decrepit

because you feel drawn to them and they're cheap?

She's missing a leg.

And has staples in her head.

Her eyes are almost rubbed away...

But I couldn't leave it.

Some random things--

a vintage ceramic horse head,

and this book.

I often buy things to use simply as "props"

in my shop photos.

That's why I bought it.

Kitschy plate.

I have a few of these now, with all kinds of funny sayings.

Note the rolling pin at the bottom of the plate, lol.

Cute apple chopping board.

An old tin and mini framed art.

The photos I already had.

I love these types of frames, vintage Italian.

A pottery bird candleholder

for me to paint.

Way back when, I used to read two retro-type

magazines called "Reminisce" and "Good Old Days."

I think both were meant for grandmas and grandpas who

had actually grown up during the 30s-50's, but

I loved how both shared memories people had

of living back then.

I think both magazines may still be published.

Have you heard of them?

I was really happy to find this book.

It's put out by Good Old Days, and

has stories about all sorts of retro things.

Okay, one more thing.

This is actually, for some reason, my favorite!

A vintage, handmade bread warmer.

Underneath each of this cute chicky's wings is an opening,

and there is a basket to keep your biscuits or rolls

or what have you warm on the dinner table.

Isn't it adorable? The fabric and design are so fun!

Thanks for stopping by and letting me share my newest treasures with you.

For lots more, stop by:

Her Library Adventures

and

Apron Thrift Girl

Select items are available in my etsy shop, Dreamwylde Vintage.

what i once wanted

2011-09-29T22:12:00.000-07:00

I once wanted to be a pastry chef.

(source: Ciao Laura)

(Incidentally, while doing an image search for pastry chef, I came across this image:

"The Pastry Chef"

(source: Janet Hill)

Which led me to the Janet Hill Studio blog.

I'm sure I wouldn't have across it otherwise.

I looked around and her art is so darling!

I of course love their vintage feel:

"A Mystery Lady"

I also love the humor behind some of them:

"Flashy"

"Minne Was An Aggressive Driver"

"Paige Practices Poise"

But this one just may be my very favorite:

"The English Major"

Sorry for the diversion.

But don't you love it when you stumble across

something fabulous like that?)

A-hem.

On that note.

I once wanted to be a "semi-famous" writer, go to a college

with a good M.F.A. creative writing program, and spend as much

time as possible with my favorite poet, Sharon Olds

(who came in as second-favorite after my one-time "idol,"Anne Sexton.)

I once wanted to feel beautiful, be beautiful, because I felt

that with it must come a certain level of confidence, one I never really had.

I once wanted to be the perfect mom,

imagining how my kids would be sweet and cleanly dressed,

and happy as clams as I did nothing but nurture them

with art projects, read them books,

baked them cookies, took them to the park,

and so on.

(This was waaaay before I had my own kids,

and reality set in!)

Isn't it funny to think back on the dreams you once had,

or the things you once thought mattered?

Now--

I play "pastry chef" to my little monkeys.

I still want to take some cooking classes someday, though.

Just for fun.

I still love to read,

though the time for that is more limited now--

and even when it is there, my mind is oftentimes too tired

to want to do anything but sleep.

That desire to write and publish and teach isn't there so much anymore.

Perhaps it never was my "real" dream.

But I want to finish college.

I got up to my junior year.

And feeling beautiful?

Beauty means different things to me now.

I learned to gauge it in new ways.

That's one of the blessings of getting older, isn't it?

You start to learn what things really mean.

I may not feel like I should about myself

in terms of self-confidence and my appearance,

but neither does it weigh me down

like it once did.

(Wisdom also teaches one to look back at those pre-baby body

pics and think "my, you were crazy.")

Now I am a mom.

A real one--flaws and all.

Which means I lose my temper,

make mistakes, and question myself at times.

I sure do love my kids, though.

(But I still must be slightly crazy--because I look at those pics

of when they were little and want another!)

I've learned now that soul mates do exist.

Although they too are not "perfect" ;P

I think I've made peace with the dreams I once had.

Some have been let go, some have changed, some have come true.

Some wait to be discovered.

There's new ones--like to have a successful etsy shop.

Perhaps someday :)

I kind of feel l like I needed to have a little look

at my dreams like this.

Give them a little nod, let them go forth,

and look forward to the future.

And relish the dreams that are my here-and-now.

✰Christmas is coming early this year✰

2011-09-27T23:27:00.000-07:00

November 5th, to be exact...

Sadly, I am not kidding when I say that I asked my husband if my early Christmas present could be to go to Portland for a garage sale. But no, not any garage sale! Don't get me wrong, I probably would drag him 2+ hours away for just one garage sale :D But this is "Portland's Largest Garage Sale," held at the Expo Center. I went to the sale homepage to check it out, where they have a video about it...and drooled.

Old stuff, new stuff, used stuff, masses and masses of it,
all under one roof...really?

It will also be our first trip to Portland EVER. How exciting! I've heard so much about what an amazing city it is. It'll be so cool to finally be able to take a look around!

(note to self: google delicious sounding, well-reviewed places to eat. asap.)

(p.s., google thrift shops, too. so we'll have already spent hours at the world's, I mean Portland's, largest flea market...so?)

(p.p.s. make sure hubby is in a good mood November 4th/5th. make that the best mood ever.)

✈ airport trip ✈

2011-09-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

Things are getting more official around here.
We went to the bayfront for the first time

since moving here 2 months ago, which seems as essential as having

gone to the beach. I love all the little shops down there, although

we didn't go look in them with the kids.

This was purely a sea lion trip :)

Which I can always appreciate.

The bayfront is up in Newport, about 45 minutes from here.

Every time Addie hears us say we are going there, she asks,
"Why are we going to the airport?"

Not quite, honey.

On the way to Newport, we pass this shop.

Isn't it cool? It just beckons one to go inside,

although I have yet to do so.

It's called "Just Looking," see? :)

We parked close enough that we could hear

the sea lions before we saw them, as soon as we got out of the car.

Once this rock came into view, I kept pointing it out and asking Addie

if she could see them. "Where, where?" she would say.

I guess they do blend in rather well!

As soon as we got to the right spot,

Addie dashed ahead.

Why are sleeping sea lions so fascinating to watch?

I don't know, but they are.

It was really funny actually to watch that big pile

of sea lions in the cage visible in the background.

They reminded me of kittens, the way they

were draped all over one another.

And when one would move, a particular grouchy sea lion

would get mad and bellow loudly :)

Here are my boys.

After that, we walked down a bit to

go see all the boats a bit better.

It's so pretty.

As horrible as it sounds, Addie is the only one

we trust to walk on her own at certain places.

As usual, against Dad's better judgment,

I caved and let Jakey get out of the stroller and walk.

A few minutes later and he was off,

running down the boardwalk and looking back

with the most evil toddler grin as we yelled for him to come back.

I wish I could say the placement of Jakey

right next to the "Live crab" sign was purely accidental,

but it was not.

Therefore, more of Addie this time.

With mama.

And of course, every girl needs a pic with her dad, too.

What moment have you enjoyed lately?

☛thrift store finds☚

2011-09-24T23:56:00.000-07:00

Hello thrifting friends!

Here are my finds for this week:

Now that Christmas is on the not-too-distant horizon,

I'm starting to think of holiday things more.

I'm one of those people who need it to be "near"

in order to shop for it.

I need to change that ;)

Anyway, these vintage tags struck me as really cute.

It's amazing, the choices, styles, etc. that even Christmas tags come in!

I love that these are "old-fashioned,"

and like the ones I remember from childhood.

I had to laugh after buying the following,

because I actually didn't realize it was a doll pattern.

Hmm, could that strangely stiffly positioned arms

have given me a clue?

That, and the fact that "doll" is written on the front :)

No matter.

I don't have any sewing skills, anyway--

I just bought this because it was cute.

But Addie does have some 18" tall dolls,

so maybe I'll try making something for the first time.

This next one was also too cute to pass on.

I love the clothing styles and the illustrations.

And the personal touches are always

what seals the deal for me,

like the red penmanship noting

"Monty's" waist size.

This fabric was so adorable,

I knew I had to bring it home with me.

I really adore patchwork stuff.

This patchwork dog was so darling.

I like picking out my favorite fabrics on things like this :)

Vintage blankets of any kind,

but especially baby blankets, are something I could never tire of.

There's something so sweet a vintage baby blanket.

I liked how bright and cheerful it was,

as well as the cute farm theme.

Another vintage pony book for my collection.

I wish I would've taken pictures of the illustrations inside.

I really like them.

Finally, my find from awhile back--this fabulous 70's kitchen art.

After what seems eons, I got this listed in my shop.

I forget if I've shown it before,

but taking photos of them again reminded me of how cool I think they are :)

They are original, and signed "Josie 71" on the bottom.

Isn't Josie such a 1970's name?

I think it's cute.

But maybe that's just because It think of Josie and the Pussycats.

What favorite finds have you discovered lately?

For more, please stop by:

Her Library Adventures

Apron Thrift Girl

Dear Daughter

2011-09-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Daughter,

You keep surprising us with the clarity and subject matter of your photographs.

Like: Dada pushing an empty stroller.

Or: Mama holding some rocks as your force her

to smile and say "Strawberry Shortcake!!!"

Don't get me wrong.

More often than not the photos you take with my phone

are of your hand.

Up close.

Nonetheless, I'm proud of you

and you can still grow up to be

Annie Liebovitz if you want to.

Love you forever,

Mommy

✮Soooo excited!✮

2011-09-22T22:03:00.000-07:00

I was so thrilled to find out recently that I am the winner of an awesome blog design by Don Naylor of Adeline's Daddy! He has a blog where he catalogs life with his lovely daughter, Adeline. (How cute is that?!) He is also the design genius behind the blog The Paper Mama, among many others. This giveaway was hosted by Allie of It's a Wonderful Life, so I'd like to give a big thank you to her and Don both. This is so cool! Now my blog won't look like...well, like I did it myself! ;)

Here are some of his designs:

(source: Adeline's Daddy)

Stay tuned for the new look! I can't imagine what it will look like, but I know that thanks to Don it is going to be SO lovely. And I will adore it :)

If you're interested in learning more about Don's designs, click HERE.

Yaaay! We're about to get fancy around here! ;)

gratitude

2011-09-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

We didn't do anything out of the ordinary today...just hung out at home, and in the afternoon went for a little walk.

This is the view up our road.

Part of me still can't believe I live so close to the ocean and the mountains.
And so far away from my hometown.

I grew up with a kind of unspoken rule, which was

you don't move too far from your family.

I can truly understand that in a way, being the mom

of three such little children :)

But I also knew I always wanted to live other places, too.

So (in part) here we are.

I guess I'm just in awe of it sometimes.

I've been trying to be actively grateful, lately.

It's done so much for me...opened my eyes a bit more :)

I think learning to be happy with the smallest things

can never be a bad idea.

It brought me to the point where becoming more grateful

has become something I don't think about, and just do.

And that's what kind of happened with today's walk.

I found myself marveling at how beautiful some things were...

Even things like Jakey playing with his jacket

as we walked down the beach :)

Just the fact that my sweet boy is a little clown,

a funny man, often with a laugh at the ready

(if he's in a good mood).

Addie helping Liam with his shoe.

(It's so cute how much he adores her!)

The sea.

I love how you can see the boys clamoring about

in the right hand corner, lol.

A beautiful purple flower.

A bit of dandelion or some similar plant

that Addie brought to me, insisting it was

a piece of fur some animal had lost.

It's fun to see how much the kids love the ocean.

At one point Nate went down closer to the beach,

while I stayed on the rocks with the kids.

He brought me back a barnacle as a little gift :)

Then Addie gave me a flower, so I made an impromptu vase.

Isn't it funny how the most ordinary thing can become special

because of the person(s) who gave them to you?

Here are some silhouette pictures of Addie and Jake.

I love how they look.

I just need to have Nate get one of Liam next time.

Is there anything you've been especially grateful for lately?

☂little tidbits☂

2011-09-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

The great adventure in thrifting is, of course, that you never know what you'll find...somettimes it's nothing. But on the other hand, unless things are very very slim, there's always something...you know? :) Luckily, I'm learning (believe it or not!) the art of restraint. It helps that we are living in Oregon now, where the yards sales and such to choose from are much fewer. In California, you'd find literally a hundred sales in the area I used to live. And in Oregon, just as literally, there are maybe ten. On a good weekend.

The differentiating factor is also that Oregon sales tend to be a little more interesting. For example, I met the cutest little old couple selling things out of their barn. The lady was quite sweet, and had a lot of old things out. That was where I found the smallest "tidbit" of all...this little bunny.

Wee, adorable, and accompanied by his mother, seen below.

I've been looking for old flower frogs for the longest time...although I could have just bought them from an antique store, I've been waiting to find them at a yard sale just for the fun of finding one for cheap.

At 10 cents apiece, they certainly were cheap...I just didn't think they'd be so small. But I think they're adorable. The old Crayolas and 70's Hot Wheel were just too sweet to pass on. It was, after all, a tidbit weekend.

At the same sale, I bought this lightbulb necklace.

I thought it fun.

The last thing from there was a box of old floral picks,

feathers, frou-frou things, and old corsage pieces, a dollar for the box.

These are some of them...

My daughter is obsessed with the Fancy Nancy books right now,

and as soon as I saw this, I knew we had to use it to make

an extra-fancy hat for her to wear.

(copyright: Jane O'connor/HarperCollins)

These are my favorite of the bunch.

Isn't the little bee cute?

At another yard sale I found some old thread...

...which, I have to say, I am more appreciative of

now that I've seen how much thread can cost in the store.

I want to start some embroidery projects, and never really looked

at the thread before. Who knew it was kind of pricey? Not me. :)

And, the rest is courtesy of the Yachats Lion's Thrift Store.

Open only 3 days a week, but always worth a look.

This last time, my daughter Addie came with me

and that made it even more fun.

This was 50 cents.

I needed a potholder, and I especially like homemade ones.

They're just...cozier.

Okay, so maybe I already have a set of salt & pepper shakers

similar to these.

But I do NOT have any with googly eyes,

or any that are tiny.

Now instead of having one pair I have a "collection." ;)

What I like too about this thrift store is you are free to look

at anything they have, even merchandise that's on their table

waiting to be priced and put out.

That's where I noticed this little box.

Don't you love when you find a curious-looking box

or tin or some-other-such container that seems interesting

and you find something neat inside?

The brush was ok, but what I really loved

were the old hairpins in their original box.

Things were so much cuter back in the "olden days!"

As a side note, while taking pictures of all my things,

Addie (who is almost 4) asked me for the zillionth time

"Mama, why do you like to take pictures of your old things?"

I always tell her that I just think they are cool.

This seems to answer her question.

So she asked if she could take a picture too,

and carefully played with and rearranged the items

so that they would look just so.

I thought that was very cute :)

She also loves to play with my phone in general,

and take random pictures of herself.

She's nutty, that one.

Linking to:

Her Library Adventures

Apron Thrift Girl

☁Recent Thrift finds☁

2011-09-13T23:34:00.000-07:00

We're back from California! It was nice to see my family, and enjoy their company as we celebrated the kids' birthdays. I'll post pictures soon.

Of course, I had to hit the flea market while in California. I found a few things while there, but this darling squeaky toy is what sticks out the most:

It is larger than any of those such toys that I've seen, made by companies like Sun Rubber or Arrow.

I admit that this little cub borders on the creepy end, with "sleepy eyes" that open and close.

And it's definitely kitschy.

But how could I not love a face like that?

However, I was also taken with this cookie jar,

also found in California.

I have one already that says "sugar" on it, so I felt especially compelled to buy it :)

Today I made peanut-butter-oatmeal-chocolate-chip cookies

from this great recipe I found, and they turned out great.

I substituted Splenda for half of the sugar and couldn't tell the difference!

I don't think the kids could, either.

Since my husband hates peanut butter in anything but a sandwich or a reeses's cup (weirdo),

and since the best approach with the kids is "out of sight out of mind,"

this jar is currently residing on my nightstand...

And how can a girl say no to some cute shoes?

While not vintage, of course, I loved these Mudd sandals

for the fun print on them.

Once back, I found this Better Homes and Gardens Decorating book

from 1956. It was in such good shape I thought it a reproduction at first.

Love all the cute retro illustrations.

So fun to take a glimpse back into those times.

More of those lidded jars I find so cute...I think they're called bell jars?

I'm getting a pretty good collection of them.

It seems lately that I can pretty much count on finding one for $1 or so.

I joked to my hubby that one day he's going to open a door to one of the rooms at home,

it'll give way with a long creak...and he'll see nothing but these jars on ever surface ;P

The the scary music will start playing.

This little wooden knick-knack was too odd and cute to pass up.

I have absolutely no idea what it is.

A penguin?

I just know I liked it.

And sometimes...that's good enough :D

Finally, my favorite find from today's thrifting...

a vintage embroidered tablecloth.

(Sorry, the pics aren't too great.)

It is the prettiest pinky-peach color.

The trim on it is so lovely.

Something about it is so Parisian to me, I don't know why!

I'm hoping you've enjoyed some good finds this week!

Linking to:

Her Library Adventures

Apron Thrift Girl

beach wave (goodbye)

2011-08-31T13:32:00.000-07:00

Today we leave for a trip back home.

Although Oregon is my NEW home in every sense of the word,

I will always be a California girl at heart.

It's impossible not to refer to it as home after living there 99%

of my 33 years on earth ;)

I am grateful for the contrast living in Oregon is--

for the new opportunities and challenges it has presented.

At times, living here has seemed very hard,

and alternately there have been times it's felt so easy.

Life is like that, huh? Our hearts can be in multiple places

and want to sometimes be other than where we are...

while still loving your new life completely.

I won't be blogging for the week or so we are gone,

so I thought I'd share some beachy pics

until we return.

“The Sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.”

--Jacques Cousteau

“Don't grow up too quickly, lest you forget how much you love the beach.”
-- Michelle Held

"To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me." --Isaac Newton

“The cure for anything is salt water - sweat, tears, or the sea.”

--Isak Dinesen

“One cannot collect all the beautiful shells on the beach; one can collect only a few, and they are more beautiful if they are few.”

--Anne Morrow Lindbergh

"In every outthrust headland, in every curving beach, in every grain of sand there is the story of the earth."--Rachel Carson

“My life is like a stroll on the beach...as near to the edge as I can go.”

--Thoreau

“Our memories of the ocean will linger on, long after our footprints in the sand are gone.”

--Anonymous

"At the beach, life is different. Time doesn't move hour to hour but mood to moment. We live by the currents, plan by the tides and follow the sun." -Unknown

Overdue thrift haul...Oregon style.

2011-08-31T00:13:00.000-07:00

I have felt an itch to thrift lately...well, when don't I, I suppose? :) But I have found some fun things lately, and it seemed time to do a legitimate "thrift haul" post. I have to admit, I was initially worried that there wouldn't be enough sources for "cool stuff" here in Oregon (yes, hoarders like me with a vintage addiction think that way.) Luckily, I have been pleasantly surprised--and this has been only with hitting garage/estate sales and the same three thrift stores. There are still so many places to explore! I especially want to look at some of the antique stores in this area soon. Anyway, here are some of the items that just had to make it into my hands as of late...

I'll start with some pretty pastel things.

I've wanted a vintage Ball mason jar in blue for so long.

I found two, and some little blue dishes as seen below, at the same sale.

This Louis Sherry chocolates tin was found at the one thrift store

in my tiny new town.

Again, surprising me by the things I've been able to find!

I think it is so pretty.

My heart did a little pitter-pat when I saw this mug.

'Cause I am a total bibliophile, even if limited by time most days :)

Honestly, some of my favorite childhood memories

are of reading, books, and the library.

Oh, and bookstores ;)

Speaking of books, I have found so many fun

vintage children's books.

I loved how this one had paper dolls inside.

Isn't the cover on this one sweet?

And darling pictures inside, too.

The illustrations inside the books are too cute

to pass up sometimes.

I've acquired a lot of school readers now.

One of my favorite themes is all things circus.

This cup is a CA find, but one of the things to first spark

my interest in circus motifs!

This book once had some kind of "magic action"

feature that, sadly, didn't make it through the years.

But the cover alone is darling.

Love the bright colors on these.

And love too when a name has been placed inside

in child's scrawl :)

Same goes for these coloring books,

the covers anyway--

I liked the kitsch factor they had, plus the fact that

the illustrations were so cute,

and none colored in at all.

I really like vintage games

and vintage teaching/learning games.

I've had great luck finding vintage coffee mugs

and little cup-and-saucer sets as of late.

I love these vintage restaurant mugs...

they're just so classically coffee shop, you know?

Now for a random mishmash of items...

vintage desk supplies.

Some really cute fabrics,

in case I ever learn to sew :)

I want to try and make a dress for Addie someday.

picnicking children...awwwwwww.

By the way, this is my dream try-to-mimic dress for someday!

I found it on a great blog called Girl Inspired.

Isn't it adorable?!

Sigh.

Like I said. Someday.

A very stylish-beachy fabric in one.

Cute cute.

I found some vintage cookbooks bundled up together

for a good price.

I'd taken a quick peek inside and wanted these

primarily for this volume...

It was only later that I took a closer look

at the writing on the cover.

cho. Roll--what, what?

Chocolate Roll?

Sure enough, there it was on page 187.

Kismet.

I enjoy practically free, cute little things

that I can certainly live without, but

just make me happy.

Like this reproduction vintage Santa Claus book--

--and this old "fancy lady" pincushion.

The necklace is another recent buy.

Ah yes, vintage religious themed items.

Another interest of mine.

This letter a was a must, because of Addie :)

And the crewel art was just something I bought for the oval frame,

but the more I look at it, the more I like it.

I bought two, the other one is similar to it, but I am trying

to give that one a different look with some paint and other touches.

We'll see if it works!

I passed by this wooden bobby a few times before

I thought, "Ok, I must have him."

Sure he's armless, but, the thing is...

He already had a companion waiting for him at his new home.

Glass containers.

A cute and tiny baby photo album.

And my happiest find in the past few weeks,

this 1950's baby blanket.

My kids are barely exiting the babydom stage...

it's still so natural to see something like this

and just drool.

The fabric its made of is part of that venerable category

of cuteness that I coin "beyond adorable!"

It is now in my shop.

Thanks for joining me in a stroll down
vintage-hoarder lane! ;)
But most of it is for my shop, that's right...

Are you passionate about vintage finds, like me?
Then please check out all the goodies others have found at the lovely Sophie's blog,
Her Library Adventures.

The Paper Mama Photo Challenge: Fave from August

2011-08-27T22:53:00.000-07:00

I've been reading cutesy Chelsey's blog, The Paper Mama, for a bit now, but have never entered one of her fun Photo Challenges. (That's her daughter Ruari above. Isn't she adorable?) Although I love taking and editing photos, I'm quite haphazard about it. I don't know what's right "technically," but rather go with what pleases my eye.

This week's challenge is your "favorite photo from August." While I find it impossible to choose a favorite, simply because there are so many fun moments captured, I chose this one of Addie to submit:

I posted this same photograph of her wearing her purple peace sign shirt about a week ago, but it was unedited. I chose this as my favorite for August simply because it was fun to work on, and I liked the way it came out. I think the only thing I would change would be to have her hair down...but as odd as the serious little look she wears is, I like it :) I didn't tell her to pose that way at all, lol! I asked if I could take a picture of her, so that I could show the shirt...and that is what she gave me. Crazy girl.

I guess that this picture is my favorite in what it symbolizes, if you will--the peace signs, and the light.

You can check out more about this contest and see the other submissions HERE.

Small House by the Sea

Flea Market finds: California Girl Edition

Reasons I love Thrifting #1: $2 art

Newest Finds

*Newest finds, and my vintage find of the YEAR!*

Happy Halloween!

"Online Thrifting"

★newest finds!★

☽Spooky post: voices in the dark☾

➘Newest Treasures↩

✸Newest treasure✸

angel face.

♥Thrift Store Finds♥

Thrift Store Finds

what i once wanted

✰Christmas is coming early this year✰

✈ airport trip ✈

☛thrift store finds☚

Dear Daughter

✮Soooo excited!✮

gratitude

☂little tidbits☂

☁Recent Thrift finds☁

beach wave (goodbye)

Overdue thrift haul...Oregon style.

The Paper Mama Photo Challenge: Fave from August

Newest finds, and my vintage find of the YEAR!