Archive for the ‘thrift and vintage’ Category

“Who are the people in your neighborhood. In your neighborhood. In your neighborhood. Who are the people in your neighborhood. It’s the people that you meet, when you’re walking down the street. It’s the people that you meet each day.” For some reason, when I play, yes I play, with Little People I sing this song in my head. Maybe it’s because when I was little and had these very same people, Sesame Street was always on.

Speaking of the street, has anyone noticed PBS’ new programming line-up? Where did Sesame Street go in the morning? It was a staple around here. Now I just have to record it and play it during breakfast. You can’t have cheerios without Sesame Street.

We have quite a few people in our neighborhood as you can see in the basket. All the usual suspects are there. The swing, the mommy, the baby, the highchair, the trike. The firetruck. The race car driver.

I began a process about a year ago of weeding out the new Little People that had made their way into the house. Out with the new, in with the old. Seems to be a theme around here.

I have scoured yard sales, thrift stores and estate sales for the past year. I was able to find an assortment of people and animals, the house, barn and school house (complete with all magnetic letters). All of the pieces that I had as a child but that have disappeared over the years. Every time I find another little bag of people my heart skips a beat. I do a little dance on the inside. Quickly scoop up my find and hold onto it as tightly as I can.

Fortunately, my kiddos treasure these Little People just as much as I do. They are kept in the living room, not stashed in the closet, and played with all of the time. We set up the house. Rearrange the living spaces. Get the kids into the school. Load up the camp van with unlikely suspects and play all day long. Sometimes even, Makena brings her princesses in for a visit and Keegan brings his Star Wars characters. And I… well I just like to decorate the spaces.

It’s a family affair.

I believe we are on day 46 of over 100 degree temperatures in Austin. That sets a record for high temperatures set back in the 1920’s. That’s 46 days friends. Over 100 degrees. Hot.
So with that brings very few outdoor activities. As the lake level continues to drop and boat docks are now sitting on dry land, we hibernate inside. The air conditioner seems to be pumping all of the time. No rest for the weary.

I’m a window girl. Not the I stand in a window in Amsterdam type, but the I like big windows in my house type. The entire backside of our house is sliding glass doors. The good heavy ones built in the 80’s. In the morning, as the sun comes up, the curtains are closed. The scorching Texas sun heats up my house like a greenhouse. Our bedroom has the same window. Although we like to sleep by starlight, the first glimpse of sunlight wakes both of us up in a race to close the curtains.

There is another window opposite the big wall of windows in our living room that has stood bare for quite some time. The previous owners had installed shades, but that space has always felt empty. Like they were never quite properly dressed for the occasion. The occasion being blocking out the sun in the late afternoon. The sun comes up over the lake and sets in the hills.

Lucky me, I found these silk curtains at the thrift store this weekend. And yes friends, that thrift store is in Dripping Springs run by a retirement community. Shoot, I hate giving away a secret. And yes, they were only $6 for the pair. They are the good old pleated curtains that your grandmother had hanging in her dining room. Actually, mine had lace curtains that are still hanging there. Sorry the picture is dark, it’s about impossible to take a picture of a window with this sunlight.

The bench I picked up at an antique store in Georgetown right before we moved into our house this time last year. It’s made from all repurposed wood. From doors and a vintage bed. It has been living on our front porch but I’m the queen of moving things around instead of buying new. So now it has a new home under the window. Now I need some rocking chairs for the front porch in time for fall and the cool weather.

I’ve decided that my favorite thrift stores are of the small town variety. Children’s books for .25, vintage silk curtains for $6, several yards of vintage fabric for .50, lot of vintage buttons for .25, Samsonite cases for $2. The deals just can’t be touched. My absolute favorite is in a little town west of Austin that is run by a retirement home. So not only do you get great vintage treasures, but also good conversation to boot. I was able to pop in there this weekend, kid free, to just wander about. Sort through bins I have never had the time to look through and find all kinds of wonderful vintage deals.

Like this Avon bird to go with Chris’ owl. I picked up tons of the grey stripe fabric. What should I do with it? I was thinking pillows.

And this Swedish child’s gardening book. The illustrations make my heart melt.

A truly sweet vintage book that gives kids a tour of London while learning their abc’s.

And these vintage bags that need a little TLC, but are in great condition otherwise.

Now I have a list of things to do. Create a purpose for the bags, create a windowsill garden and sew something. New rule, if it comes in it has to have a purpose and put to use. Otherwise, it’s just vintage clutter. I’ll show you the curtains tomorrow if the light cooperates! I actually already got them hung up. The anticipation was killing me.

Oh friends, do I have some crafty/sewing goodness to share with you. But since I don’t have my camera yet, and they are gifts for my sister’s baby shower tomorrow (she reads my blog… Hi Alison), you’ll have to wait. I know, I’m such a tease. But I can show you my first little client for the baby Mexican dress. The babe that created the obsession that I now have with these dresses.

Isn’t she the sweetest thing you ever laid your eyes on! I’m talking about the baby, not the dress. But the dress is cute too right?!? Her mama contacted me about making her daughter a dress for her first birthday. She told me that it was a fiesta theme and that’s all I had to work with. One trip to a vintage store later I came home with this purple puebla women’s dress. A few cuts and snips later. Some bias tape added. And this lovely little baby dress was born.

It’s Friday and there is excitement in the air. The kids are going to stay with their grandma and grandpa this weekend and they couldn’t be more excited. Honestly, I couldn’t be more excited for myself (ahem) them either. What’s on the plate you might ask? Reading. Sewing. Time with Hubby. Floating in the lake. Watching the Olympics. Knitting. Time with Friends. Thrifting. Baby Shower. Flea Market. Oh, I hope I can fit it all in!

We just got back from a wonderful long weekend in San Antonio and I couldn’t wait to share a little piece of the past with you. As I dug through piles and piles of vintage toys, fabric, and you name it at an estate sale, I felt like I was unearthing the past. Having a nice conversation with Peggy. Learning about who she was. Listening to her stories.

I picked up a box of vintage stationary that I found in one of the piles. When I brought it home and was sorting through her treasures I found love letters from Peggy to her dear Roland. She touched my heart. I have to share an excerpt from her letter to Roland who was away working.

Dearest husband - I need you very much. I just wanted you to know your strength is with us even when you are away - and Carolyn, too, misses you very much. She was crying almost hysterically after her last bath and pleading “Daddy! Daddy!” the entire time. This is the first time she has been sick that she needed someone besides me - so it’s not only mommy but also baby that needs you so very much. So take care of yourself and come home safe to us. We love you!!!

Time goes by so quickly in some ways - it seems only yesterday that we were married - and we’re still the happiest couple in the world, aren’t we? Did you know that after 6 years - I still can hardly believe that you wanted me enough to marry me! I still live in a dream world - because you are so wonderful and smart and happy, I can hardly believe you’d want to marry me. But I’m surely glad that you did!!

A moment in time. Captured in ink. Saved in a little box. Found. Treasured.

I literally hauled out several bags. As much as could fit in my car. Her entire life. At a tag sale. I am honored to be able share Peggy’s life with you. Some of these items might end up in my shop but let me cherish them for a few days first. With my Exposing Myself series I’m not sure what I’ll be able to fit in the house. I will be honest though and tell you that since finding the love letters I might not be able to let things go as easily.

Father’s day didn’t go exactly as planned. It was 100 degrees in the Texas Hill Country so we all decided that it wasn’t ideal to go sit in a lavender field and have a picnic. Texas. It’s hot.

The deer around the lake keep us from having a garden, or any fruit trees for that matter. Maybe next year I can get a six foot fence up to keep the deer out. But for now, we rely on local farmers to provide fresh fruits and veggies.

So we moved the festivities indoors, grilled bratwurst on the deck, drank German beer, made homemade sangria and my Mema’s peach cobbler. I had the recipe to the cobbler in my recipe drawer and had never made it. I love it because it is written in her handwriting. Something that I treasure. Last week, amidst the organization whirlwind, I organized my recipes. In my next post I’ll show you how they all found a new home and became organized.

Mema’s Peach Cobbler

• Melt one stick of butter in a large oblong dish.
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 T baking powder
• 3/4 c milk
• Stir altogether and pour over butter.
• Top with 2 cans of sliced peaches, or fresh peaches if you have them.
• Bake at 350 degrees for one hour.

I even had time to update my Etsy shop with some of my vintage finds. Check it out.

We interrupt the scheduled Disney Crack programming to bring you a little crafty goodness.

My bedroom/crafting space is full of sweet little pillowcase dresses. I’ve been updating my Etsy shop. Makena keeps popping in and asking if each one of the dresses is hers. They are hard to part with, some of them are just too cute.

I decided that I needed to go ahead and cut into those beautiful vintage pillowcases to make dresses out of them. So I selected a few sizes and cut away. Right now the sizes range from 12 months to 3t. I’ll be continuing to add dresses to the shop over the weekend so check back. Also, remember that I can do custom orders as well so just contact me if you want something special.

Okay, go ahead. Check out the shop. I’ll wait right here for you. Now tell your friends. Spread the word. I’ve got preschool to pay for next fall!

I received my first custom order a couple of weeks ago from a woman wanting a dress for her daughter’s first birthday party. She said that she wanted a Mexican style dress and left the creativity up to me. Fun! I searched high and low until I found the perfect vintage women’s Mexican dress. A few cuts and snips.

Voila! A baby dress!

Garage sale season is upon us! Every Saturday morning I wake up before anyone in the house, sneak my way downstairs, grab a cup of coffee and head out the door. I am ready for the world.

I spend the morning sorting through other people’s trash and treasures. The early bird gets the worm, you have to be there around 7 to get the good stuff. Oh, and what good stuff it is.

This weekend, my loot included a vintage Samsonite train case. Not the usual hard case variety, but the older versions with the stitching around the edges. Six years of Martha Stewart Living Magazines. A couple of vintage straw Acapulco bags, which will be added to the shop this week.

This dresser, which is oh so cute and has a new home in my entry way. Should I paint it? And what type of knobs should I put on it?

And this chair, which I painted red. He’s the ‘merchandising’ part of my shop. He’ll hold all of the dresses and such.

A few weeks ago, my friend Ruth tagged me for a four things meme. Here goes…

4 Movies

• Amelie- I heart French films and Audrey Tautou is one of my favorite actresses.
• Chocolat- Two words, Johnny Depp. Oh how I dream of moving to Europe and opening my own little shop.
• Under the Tuscan Sun- Can you tell I love to travel? There are so many villas all over Tuscany, abandoned. The thoughts of what it would be like to move there and just live. Beautiful.
• A Good Year- Europe. A house. Amazing.
• Xanadu- I know this is 5, but come on. It’s Xanadu!!!

4 Places I Have Lived

• Key West, Florida- Parents moved there when I was a baby. Loads of baby pics on the beach. I’m a beach baby.
• San Antonio, Texas- Where we got married and lived right out of college.
• Arlington, Texas- Where I grew up.
• Stephenville, Texas- Dairy capital of the world. HUGE Rodeo town. Where I went to college and played basketball.

4 TV Shows I Watch

• So You Think You Can Dance- Guilty pleasure.
• The Amazing Race- A race around the world. Sounds like my kind of race.
• Grey’s Anatomy- The characters, the plot, the humor, the timing. It’s all too good.
• Project Runway- It amazes me how they create such fabulous clothes.

4 Places I Have Been

• Australia- Went once with my dad. He sells opals and we went to Sydney and the Outback on a buying trip and to stay with his friends. Got to raise kangaroos while I was there. Went a second time with high school students. I was a leader for a student travel program and we spent three weeks in Australia, traveling up the coast from Sydney to Cairns. Amazing.
• Europe- There are just too many amazing places to leave one out so here’s my list. Most of these places I visited as a travel leader. I did spend some time in Italy with Miles before we had Makena. England, Ireland, Wales, Scotland, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Italy. I can not wait for the kids to be old enough to travel and we can all go! A few of my favorite places: Salzburg, Austria - Cinque Terre, Italy - Paris, France.
• Vancouver/Whistler, B.C., Canada- Our number one favorite place to ski. We like to fly into Vancouver, spend a couple of days then head up to the mountains in Whistler to ski. There is so much snow there it will blow your mind.
• Belize- We went with my dad on a diving trip to the islands in Belize. It’s so pure and natural. My dad says that is the way Cozumel was thirty years ago.

4 Things to Eat

• Chocolate
• Fish Tacos
• My family’s recipe for spaghetti and eggplant parmesan.
• Sushi

4 Things to Look Forward To

• Disney World- We leave on Saturday for a week at Disney World!!! The kids are going to go crazy. Ah, who am I kidding… we are going to go crazy! I promise to come back with lots of cheesy ear pictures of the four of us.
• Summer days spent at the lake.
• Oliver being house trained.
• Getting ALL of the laundry done.

4 Favorite Places

• Home
• The lake- floating on a raft.
• Granville Island Public Market (Vancouver, B.C.)- A mind blowing market place. I usually stand there with my jaw dropped to the ground, overwhelmed with the choices.
• Savannah, Georgia- We went in the fall for our ten year anniversary. The quaint little shops, coffee shops, parks… it’s all too much!

Okay friends, it’s your turn: Chris, Ellie, Sarah, Misty.

I’ve running into a block, a writers block that is. As I’m typing this, between each sentence a few moments pass by. You see, I’m having a blogging dilemma. So much of what I share is so very personal. My thoughts, my hopes, my dreams are put out there in the public sphere. To be judged. To be evaluated. To be read. My kids are out there. In this public space.

Does anyone else feel this way and have this dilemma?

I have this quilt that I picked up at a garage sale that I’ve been carrying around with me throughout the house. I think about this quilt and the time spent on it. I hold it up really, really close and look at each stitch. The fabric selected and the color combinations used. It’s beautiful.

I wonder how old it is. Who made it? Who was it made for? And how on earth did this beautiful piece of work end up at a garage sale just tossed aside?

I think this a blog is a lot like a quilt. My blog is something that I’ve nurtured, taken care of and looked after for about a year now. Piece by piece, it has been assembled to represent our lives. I look back on posts and see my kids, my life. The rosemary scent of Makena when she plays outside. Keegan and his happy go lucky attitude. I wonder now, as the kids are getting older, if this is the space for sharing their lives.

This quilt of mine, that I’ve hand stitched might need a new outlet. You see, friends, I’m perplexed. Do I toss it aside to the vaults, to one day be unearthed by someone searching on Google for vintage life preservers, or do I continue on, changing the focus of my blog?

I’m just not sure if my time is well spent documenting the kids lives. While I feel like sometimes I am missing it because I’m too busy trying to capture it. Does that make any sense? Probably not. You see, it’s an internal tug of war. Give up the blog and find new outlets. Continue to blog and change the focus. I don’t know.

I would love some guidance here friends. Your comments always mean so much.

Do the laundry. Do the dishes. Spring clean anything else. I don’t wanna sweep, mop or dust. Anything.

I want to go to the fabric store and get more patchwork fabric.

I want to go thrifting.

I want to find my blasted keys!!!

Pfew. Twenty minutes later. Found them.

Look what I found, look what I found! A 1940’s ABC book for the kids.

A cute green pressed glass bowl. Now… where should it go?

And a vintage cake tin.

To match these that my mom got me for my birthday last year.

Oh, and I almost forgot this beauty!  A Texas belt buckle.  Oh ya baby!

Glad I found my keys!