Frank & Betty.

Yesterday I presented myself with a challenge:

to spend 5 hours thrifting on a roughly-$10-budget.

My hubby was working a short shift that day,

(we only have one car) and since the kids are gone,

it was the perfect opportunity to tag along.

Or, as I prefer to term it, "wade knee-deep into endless thrifting perfection." ;)

So while Nate worked, it was my chance to take as loooong as I wanted

in the thrift shops. I always feel vaguely guilty, even if it's just him waiting

for me in the car. Even though I know he doesn't mind, I always feel a little bad.

I'm one of those people that can spend an hour no problem in a thrift.

At the same time, I was a little worried--5 hours, was that too much even for me?

Ummmm...no.

I pretty much used up every minute.

And, I actually like putting myself on a money limit (now and then, ahem.)

Even though my thrifting skills have sharpened significantly, I can still

sometimes make those "but-it's-cheap!" impulse buys.

And I love vintage so much, things can seem awfully appealing sometimes.

This vintage primary reader was one of those things--

do I need this---do I really need this?

It was just too cute to pass up.

I love that it is a teacher's edition, and has notes about each story.

The pictures do me in every time--

soooo cute!

Ah, how I can relate.

I just tell myself, "but they're for the kids room--"

when I get to decorating it vintage-style.

Vintage restaurant ware mugs.

One is different but they still make a cute set.

A small printing block letter, the first I've ever found at a thrift.

Yay!

These vintage shot glasses were just too 

cute and funny to pass up.

Apparently they originally came in a set of 3.

The last one says "just a swallow."

I've already scoped it out on ebay, lol!

I'll have to get that one.

A charming tray,

though in this pic you can't quite tell that.

I'm always wanting to find one of those vintage

metal hangers that are similar to this,

but older--as seen here.

This is the closest I've gotten.

I'll take it :)

Ok.

So I know I can be a little weird and really

err on the kitsch side of things sometimes,

but I LOVED this sign.

Frank and Betty, I bet you were one pair of cool cats.

An old photo, I'm guessing mom and daughters,

that captivated me because of their neat clothes

and the way they are posed.

A plastic glove form.

I'm going to try and cutestify it by

adding an image where the rectangle is, among other things,

so it can be a quirky decoration.

This is my favorite find from that day.

There's something so lovely about it to me.

I love the paper it's glued onto, and the orange

border going around it--

...and the clothes this Victorian woman is wearing,

her brooch, the umbrella and gloves.

The clerk selling it joked, "Do you know these people?!"

I get that a lot :)

But it's such a neat piece of history, an old photo.

A momentary glimpse into a life and time I can never know,

but certainly wonder and imagine about.

For more thrifty finds, stop by Harper's Happenings

for H.O.T.T.! 

Silent Inspiration.

It's amazing what a little quiet will do for a mother's mind, no?

To explain:

My angels have been gone this past week,

visiting my family in California.

This is the first time all three of them have been so far away,

and I have to admit, it was a little hard!

I had to spend the first day or two telling myself,

"They'll be all right. They'll be fine."

And of course they have been--getting spoiled oodles,

and having all kinds of adventures.
Ears being pierced (Addie that is, lol). Picnics.
Trips to the beach, sno-cones, and lots of swimming.
(The irony being we live right by the ocean yet
it's TOO COLD to swim!)

I will be joining them there on Thursday for a little vacation.

In the meantime, it's been nice to just enjoy a little quiet...
to daydream...and even to create.

I love making things, but I don't have any "real"

artistic skills. But the other day, while going through my vintage things,

I found this image of the Virgin Mary and thought it really beautiful.

I also had some other vintage "religionalia," like a very old bible

that was coming unbound, pamphlets, even some handwritten notes 

 from the 1930's referencing bible passages.

I started by using some of the bible pages as a base over canvas,

then brushed on some vintage blue ink to pick up the blue from the image.

The gilt "holy" is from the front of the old bible I had.

I loved that the note I used said "Salvation" at the top.

There are also more bits from the old bible glued on, with the old writing--

I love vintage scrawl.

Of course I had to add a little dazzle to it ;)

That's kind of what my obsession with this sort of thing gravitates toward, such as with the 

vintage religious figurines I collect--

I like the vintage, chippy, blingy, kitschy look, lol.

Here it is with the wooden Virgin Mary statue I painted and re-did.

And of course she has her crown, too :)

It felt so good to make something again.

I mean, I try new recipes a lot, which is one way of being creative 

than I enjoy--but this was of course very different, 

and I really enjoyed the process.

I had to let go of the doubts in my head, the fears of "messing up,"

and just let that "but-I'm-not-an-artist" sort of talk go.

Often, as a mom, it's easy to forget how important

it is to continue to do things that make us happy.

"Frivolous" things.

Now, though, I want to pay attention to them again.

Have you created anything that made you happy lately?

I'd love to hear about it!

Pedal on.

Hello, fellow thrifting addictees! 

(Yeah, that was totally not a word, I know.)

Here on the Oregon coast, we're still waiting

for it to be summer. I can't even imagine

actual heat. I am really looking forward to sunshine!

Lately, we may get a few days of it before the gloominess returns.

So, my photos as of late tend to be a bit on the darker side.

Here's what I found this week:

A pair of little Georges Briard custard-size bowls.

I love his designs, but I never ever find anything by him.

I took a quick stop by my local thrift store today,

right when they were closing. I took a 5 minute sweep 

and found these sweet cups. So cute.

Don't you love when you find something right away?

A small green basket and an apple-shaped container.

Two owls:

One a statue...

One a set of unopened playing cards.

As if I wasn't already charmed by Australia...!

I especially like the joey holding a camera :)

I love old art instruction books, 

though I have no concrete artistic talent to speak of.

The illustrations are so darling. 

And funny.

This baby blanket is really thin, rather large, and in excellent condition.

Too bad none of my babies are "babies" anymore,

this would be perfect as a light summer cover.

Pigs, bunnies, kittens, dogs, elephants, giraffes...

a darling smorgasbord of wee animals.

And lastly, this curious rabbit.

My husband's comment on it:

"Creepy. But kind of cool."

I just find something about him so charming!

Pedal on.

For more, please stop by Her Library Adventures.