Vintage Pretties

More Vintage Finds -- Big Flea

I talked my family into going to The Big Flea with me this past weekend to search for vintage treasures.  The youngest member of the family wasn't quite convinced that it was how she wanted to spend her Saturday afternoon, so we came up with a scavenger hunt for her.  "Find a doll from Nana's childhood", "Find a diamond ring", "Find Christmas ornaments".  That kept her busy for awhile while we checked out the booths. 

Glenn found some cool things for the basement rec room/media room/man cave/whatever you want to call it.  He is going to arrange the film reels & drive in speaker in a bookcase along with the DVDs -- fun, right?  He thought of it himself too -- he gets some good decorating ideas every once in awhile ;)

I found the candy mold, which I've been looking for at a price I can afford.  This one is just the right age & at $12 was quite a good deal!  Right after that, I found the candy sales punch card.  It was used for some kind of promotion regarding candy sales which I can't quite figure out, but what really makes me love it is the graphic design.  I'm deciding whether I should mat & frame it or put it in the cabinet of vintage kitchen things.  Last but not least is the small translucent blue bell shaped Christmas ornament (in the center front of the picture).  It is simple & pretty.

The Big Flea was my one bit of free time over the weekend.  Its all about the last push of library school right now.  I'm doing a practicum, taking a class, applying to jobs and studying for comprehensive exams.  I apologize if I've said all of this before -- its pretty much all that I do!  I hope that you all are doing well.

Decorating with Thrift Finds

My recent thrift haul kick started a decorating frenzy.  I've been re-arranging, re-painting and generally fluffing everything in my path.  A couple of projects are still in progress, so I'll have to share them in the coming weeks, but I was able to play with my thrift finds this week for a little bit of immediate decorating gratification.

I put my new white pitcher on the mantel along with 2 creamers from my collection. The mantel is always tricky for me because we have high ceilings so we had to hang our pictures pretty high.  The items on the mantel need to "fill in" the area between the fireplace and the pictures, so they need to be tall.  Everything in our old house was on a smaller scale, so I'm still collecting larger items (like the new big pitcher) that fit in the new house.

The Pepsi crate isn't strictly a thrift find -- I found it in my neighbor's garbage pile several years ago!  It was in the closet holding mittens, but in my decorating fever, I thought "That is too cool to be hiding -- what can I do with it???". This little mini wine bar is perfect for our evening glass of wine.

Remember the lavendar find from last week?  They found a good home in the kitchen on either side of the little tureen.

I shifted the topiary from the kitchen (where the lavendar now resides) and added the architectural picture above the table.  We are on a *tight* decorating budget, so buying art for this spot is not going to happen.  Enter my favorite free image sites!  You all know that I love The Graphics Fairy and I've also found a new great site, The New York Public Library Digital Gallery.  The NYPL site provides thousands of images from their collection, which are completely free to use and print!  Gotta love libraries ;) 

I found this image of an old beautiful gate and used a frame that was sitting in the basement.  Instant art!

Thrift Store Bonanza!

I haven't had a good thrift store score in a really long time, but this weekend, I hit the jackpot!

I found all of these items (except the small silver bowl -- more about that in a minute) at the Salvation Army store for $17!

I love this white pitcher ($3), which I think that I might use in the guest room & the little white plate($1).  I"m pulling together white plates for above our bed, so this will be perfect.

These gorgeous classic silver bowls will clean up well and will be beautiful in the dining room ($6 & $3).  I find so many silver items at thrift stores for dirt cheap.  I guess that people don't want to polish them, but it really only takes a minute and I love the way they look in  a grouping.

I love topiaries (are these topiaries??? Close enough!) & these are real lavendar.  They smell so pretty and were just $3 for the two of them.

I also  scored 4 dinner plates that match our dishes (seen in the first picture - $8 total).  We have Martha Stewart Everyday dishes that are no longer made.  I haven't found any other dishes that I like as well so I snatch up extras when I see them in thrift stores. 

As I left the Salvation Army, I noticed an antiques store that I hadn't seen before (how did this happen???).  I went in and found  wonderful pieces for my vintage kitchen cabinet (totaling$32 including the silver bowl).

I just love those ice cream containers & the plate from an ice cream parlor (marked 1947!).  And the colored sugar sprinkles are such a find!  I can't wait to have all of these cute vintage sweet & cooking goodies gathered in my cabinet.  In the mean time, I'm having fun collecting for it ;)

In my next post, I'll show you how I've used my new finds in the house -- I'm on a decorating roll!

Disney World!

We've just returned from the happiest place on earth!  One whole week at Disney, just the three of us, on a wonderful, fun & relaxing vacation.We've been saving & planning for the trip for a long time but sprung the actual trip on Hope at the last minute. 

(Hope finding out that she is going to Disney -- Glenn is holding a Disney brochure in the upper right of the picture)

We spent the first few days at the Magic Kingdom & Epcot...

...and some time in the Animal Kingdom & Hollywood Studios.

We stayed in the Boardwalk Inn, which was absolutely beautiful & right on the Disney Boardwalk. There were always  a lot of fun things going on like street performers & magicians, especially at night.  It was also steps away from Epcot, which was a nice bonus.

It was so much fun for all of us.  The thing about Disney is that they do everything to such a high standard that it truly becomes magical.  Over & over we were so amazed at how much fun and how well done that everything was for both kids & adults. 

Since we were there for a week, we were able to take some time to relax, which I really recommend if you have the time.  We sat down for a nice dinner every night (Chefs de France in Epcot was a favorite!), went back to the hotel to rest if we got tired and spent some time at the pool.  It was so nice to not feel that we had to pack everything in.   We were very lucky in that it was sunny the entire week & warm most of the week (not the last 2 days -- brrrr!).

We were so glad that we could give this special experience to Hope. I said to Glenn that Hope's constant smile and excitement was worth every penny that we spent. 

House of Mouse

We are going to Disney World!  See you next week!

My Covets -- 2013 Pretty Things

Soooo, I know that you aren't supposed to covet things or get the gimmes or any of that stuff, but sometimes (just every once in awhile, doncha know), I do see things that make me say "I want it!!!".  I'm guessing that I'm not alone, right? 

Let's start out with some European pottery...

Cath Kidston, Greengate, Emma Bridgewater...sigh.  All of it hard to get in the US (though sometimes you can get lucky & find Cath Kidston) and very expensive to ship from Europe.

For the traditionalist  in me...

I love blue & white ginger jars -- I think that they look really great with vintage-y things -- sort of a high/low decorating thing.  And, you,  Staub dutch oven....someday you will be mine, complete with your cute chicken handle.

Papercrafting heaven...

 

October Afternoon & Dear Lizzie have the most wonderful vintage inspired paper & accessories...I want it all....

Vintage-y baking goodies...

...to add to my collection which will be placed in the cabinet that Glenn has started making for me!

 

Links to all of these items are available at my Polyvore site: Kim's Polyvore.

My 40th Birthday

On Saturday I turned 40 years old.  It's pretty funny to me, 40.  I used to think that it was sort of washed up, frumpy, stuck -- and I feel anything but.  Well, sometimes frumpy, but that is a post for another day... :) I feel like this is the most exciting part of my life.  In the past two years, I've had to courage to take a leap -- of faith, into the unknown, deciding that I wasn't going to keep on the same path.  It has been nothing short of wonderful, making that change.  I feel like anything is possible and that I can do anything if I have guts & faith in myself.

Glenn & Hope made my birthday absolutely perfect.  Hope started out the day by performing a dance that she made up just for me and Glenn presented me with a tiara.  As the day went on, I got flowers from Hope (with a little help from Daddy), lunch at a favorite restaurant, a little antiquing, a stop at a scrapbook store and an amazing grown up dinner at a wonderful french restaurant.  Add in cake & presents that I didn't dare ask for, but I got anyway & it was perfect.

My favorite picture of the day, of my favorite people:

This & That

It's my last week of freedom before school starts again & I'm trying to fit in lots of fun/relaxing activities.  It's a big semester -- my very last one of grad school.  I'm taking a cataloging class, comprehensive exams and doing my practicum, which is a hands-on school library experience.  I'll be working in middle & elementary school libraries to see what really goes on in the daily life of a librarian and decide in which type of school I'd like to work.  I've been really looking forward to my practicum for a long time and excited that I finally get to do real library work.  So, I've spent time this week organizing the details of the practicum in addition to homey activities.  It's not very cold here, but I sure do feel like snuggling in a cozy house right now.  It's  a state of mind, this winter cozy-seeking-ness. 

A big part of this is cooking & baking, as I mentioned in my last post.  Believe it or not, I was itching to bake cookies (after the dozens I baked in December, you'd think that I'd be over it), so I made up a batch of chocolate chip pecan cookies two days ago.

I received The Barefoot Contessa Foolproof cookbook as an early birthday present (yay!), so I've been trying out recipes from there.  Last night was salmon & lentils from an earlier Barefoot book & the orange braised carrots & parsnips from Foolproof...

Yumyumyum.

I've been reading a lot.  The latest was The Real Mrs. Miniver, which is a biography of the woman who wrote the book Mrs. Miniver which was turned into a WWII classic movie.  I know, pretty esoteric, but I'm a geek for anything having to do with Britain during the war.  More in the mainstream was Dearie, the latest bio of Julia Child and Dark Places, an older one by the author of Gone Girl.  So, I've read bios & a pretty dark book -- I'd say it's time for something more uplifting, less serious.  Maybe Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin?  That sounds uplifting, doesn't it?

Here's something uplifting -- a rousing game of Life with your family:

Except I don't recommend letting the 7 year old be the banker.  Just sayin.

January Menu -- Menu Plan

I'm always very enthusiastic about cooking in January.  I think that its the idea of making something warm and comforting that is so appealing.  Also, after a month of eating a diet high in sugar, its good to get back to real food!  I've been scouring my recipes, Pinterest and my new copy of Barefoot Contessa Foolproof (just got yesterday!) for ideas.  Here are some of the things that I'm planning on making in the next few weeks....

Salmon with Lentils

Orange Braised Carrots and Parsnips

Cheesy Taco Pasta

Cajun Chicken Stuffed with Pepperjack Cheese

 

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia

Brown Rice

Broccoli with Almonds

 

Chicken Parmesan (I make it up as I go along, baking it instead of frying)

Spaghetti

Salad with walnuts, dried cranberries & vinaigrette (I use Barefoot Contessa's)

 

Cheesy Taco Pasta

Steamed Broccoli

 

Salmon with Lentils

Orange-Braised Carrots and Parsnips

 

Cajun Chicken with Pepper Jack Cheese

Green Beans Gremolata

Oven Fries

 

I'll probably try another Foolproof recipe, TBD, and there will be at least one night with a Trader Joes quick meal after I start my library practicum.

I'm linking up with:

Susie QT pies Scraps of Life Menu Plan

Organization Junkie Menu Plan

 

 

 

2012 Memory Jar

Last year I read about (probably on Pinterest) keeping a memory jar through the year & thought "that might be kind of cool -- I'm doing it!".  I just put an un-used canister on the counter & wrote down the happenings of the day whenever I thought of it.  Nothing fancy -- just a strip of paper with the date and a short note:

"1/30-Hope had a day off & we went to IKEA for play & lunch and then went to the new bookstore."

"6/15-Last day of school.  Picnic with friends from kindergarten."

"9/7-Dexter is traumatized by trip to the vet for a glucose curve."

"10/5-Glenn is back after 3 week trip!"

Sometimes I'd miss an entire week, other times I'd drop in a note 3 times a week.  We read them out loud last night as we ate our sundaes.  Lots of things we remembered & lots of other things we'd forgotten -- and been convinced at the time that they happened that we wouldn't forget.  It was a fun review of the year & way to remember the little daily things that made up our lives.  I'm going to empty out the jar today & it will be ready to fill with 2013 memories.