An Audible Gasp

So this might be a little much for you non-thrifting readers...maybe you could imagine yourself
at like Anthropologie... or you knitters out there could imagine yourselves at Purl Soho...or you fantastic seamstresses could
pretend you were walking into a super-cool fabric store...k?
Then maybe I won't sound so crazy.

So I walked into a kinda-scroungy thrift store last week, the kind that is filled with grandma cast-offs and most of it not-so-good
grandma cast-offs, look down on a shelf and see this little mini quilt.
Folded up, with junk stacked on top of it-I picked it up, unfolded it...realized it wasn't super
tiny like I thought but a decent size baby quilt and yes-an audible gasp escaped me--
it might have made the lady near me snap her head around to see what could be that exciting in
this little thrift store.

Look at these colors!
I about died.
Heart racing, turning it over to see what was 'wrong' with it and found...nothing.
It was a steal, it was perfect.
Perfectly imperfect, just for me.

Oh, but wait--because here comes the vinyl baby doll buggy I found at the next shop....
I saw it as soon as I walked in , went right over to it, thought I saw $15.00 on the tag, was trying to
decide if it was too much, did a double-take and realized the tag said $1.50.
One dollar and fifty cents.
I might have almost peed my pants.

You can see in the picture above that it is ripped a bit on the left side, it's vinyl, it's old and not in
perfect condition by any means.
It has been played with. Thankfully.
But it is adorable and cute and it was one whole dollar and fifty cents.
And no, this will not be going in my shop, Charlotte has already claimed it.
She loves it.

When I think of the things I want to have in my online shop, this is what I want.
Not necessarily the buggy or the quilt exactly, but I want people to click on the page and see
things that make them gasp... or smile...or remember.
Maybe that thing they have been looking for for some time, something from their childhood that they had forgotten all about, that thing their cousin or neighbor had that they always wanted but never had--or just something that is super cute, that perfectly imperfect thing they didn't
even know they needed but might just find a happy place in their home.

Happy Sunday friends.
I have a fence to help build(ok, really I only help hold up the pickets or grab the level) and a house
to clean, hope you all have a great day!

Be My {Vintage} Valentine

Over the weekend I started getting out my Valentine decorations, I thought it would help brighten up the house and our moods since all we have seen lately is clouds, rain and no sign at all of the sun.
 I don't have a lot of Valentine decorations but I do have a collection of Vintage Valentine's that I absolutely adore. I think Eric first started buying them for me when we were just dating, there used to be a little shop close to his work where he could always find them. So a collection (obsession) began.  Since then I am always on the look-out for them at antique stores and thrift shops, hoping to find just a few more to add to my collection. I love the cheesiness of them, the illustrations and the little sayings. I have found some pretty cool reproduction Valentine's for the kids the last couple of years but my favorites are still the vintage ones from many years ago. I love that someone, probably little kids in school a long time ago, gave these to someone for Valentine's Day. The little messages and signatures written on the back in pencil makes me wonder about the story and the people behind them.