By Lynn, on April 16th, 2012%
Ahhh, we have rolled blissfully through another weekend and now here we sit parked right on top of Monday! How can it be! I needed extra coffee to get me rolling this morning! How ’bout you?
Let’s get right down to business! Shall we? No, I have not found my lavender crinoline yet for the pretty short-ish dress that I posted about a couple of month back, but I did spot a gorgeous skirt recently at G.W. Boutique that I knew was too short from the first glance. But oh my, the cut and the fabric and the pretty sash made right onto the skirt! I carried it around the store, wondering what I could do with it.
The thoughts of cutting it up just for fabric (it’s a stretchy material) or trying to make a bag or apron from it just did not appeal to me. I walked around holding it, wondering if I could add a tier of fabric at the bottom to make it longer.
But what color? White, or a color that was already in the skirt?
I decided to take the plunge, take a chance, and so I walked over to the white skirts in G.W. Boutique and began to look.
I looked until I found a skirt that had a fabric I liked and a ruffle I liked. In order not to have to do too much altering, I choose a skirt that was about the same circumference at its ruffle level as the bottom of the floral skirt. I actually found one! So basically all that was required was to cut the bottom of the white skirt off evenly. I then pinned it in place around the bottom of the floral skirt and took it to the sewing machine. When I do the next one (and oh I do plan to do this again!) I will take pictures or do a video tutorial for you!
I do believe this is now one of my favorite skirts!!
In garden and creature news, I visited with a couple of creatures in a new garden spot I have been checking out and sizing up!
A spider in the sky, it would seem.
And a green anole that tried its best to get away from me and my camera.
But I was relentless.
For at least long enough to get a few shots.
Remember to Enjoy This Day!
By Lynn, on April 12th, 2012%
I just think girls love clothes. From the time they are old enough to realize what clothes are! Does it mean that they will automatically be prissy girlie-girls? Why, no. I remember when my own little Michaela was about 2, she would only wear cowboy boots on her feet, with whatever she was wearing otherwise. Even to bed. And she LOVED wearing her brothers’ clothing! I think the cowboy boots and their clothes made her feel a certain way, and she was too little to even voice it but boy could she show it! Clothes appeal to us in so many ways! The fabric — whether its for comfort or show. There’s even something to be said for longing to just get into your gray sweats and extra large T-shirt. It’s how clothes make us feel!
I am completely aware that obsessions with clothing can turn into a vanity that we would not want to be consumed with, but aren’t clothes fun! I told you one time that I would share a little history about my clothing “past,” and it really explains more about why I am so fascinated with clothing now! I have always loved clothes. Whenever I say that, it reminds me of my mother telling me a story of myself when I was very young. She was carrying a basket of clean clothes through the house. When she dropped a piece unawares, I said, “Mommy, you dropped a clo.” I think it’s at least sort of cool that I had picked up on grammar enough to realize that if “clothes” was plural, then there must be a singular. To this day, though, I struggle with what that is! Maybe I should pull the dictionary out and settle it once and for all! 
So to make a long story short, I was an assistant manager in two different clothing stores in two different malls (in succession — not at the same time) while I paid my way through Peace College. Yes, I worked a full time schedule and attended college full time. It was so much fun for my college mates to pop in and shop while I was working! It was loads of fun to open and check in crates of new merchandise! Can you just imagine?! It was fun putting up displays. It was something I would have done on and on, except that I got married and was soon expecting and I knew a schedule in retail would not be the best for a new family. Those days were long ago! But I still love clothes!
As you may already know, I have a collection of old photographs from all over the place. While the people in these photos are not my biological family, I can hardly bear to walk past certain photos in thrift and antique stores without adopting the people in them! I mean, where is this once-little-girl’s family? Why was this donated? She needs a home! I adopted her for 25 cents. Just look at her dress and her shoes. What I would love to know is what makes up the pattern on her dress. When I zoom in, the pattern becomes distorted. Anyone recognize this old fabric or know what that is on the dress?
I won’t bore you with more words today, and I must run out the door soon this morning. Here are a couple more sweet folks I adopted into my photo family yesterday.
Doesn’t she look happy?
Again, wish I could zoom in and make it crispy-clear, but I don’t have that knowledge or capability at this point. Wouldn’t you love to know the colors of her clothing?
And this, ahhh this one! I love it! She looks radiant! So excited! On the back of this picture is written: senior reception June 1952. I wish her name had been put on there too.
Now, I promise to share a few more pictures of my mother’s beautiful yard soon, but I don’t have any more ready for uploading at this point. And today is full of the hope of fun plans and errands, so I must run! I will leave you with a few pictures of another Leslie Fay vintage, some comfy-cute shoes, and Annie Fatso Beagle of the Universe who loves to find inviting scents in the grass and then roll in them.
Dress, vintage Leslie Fay, thrifted
Knee socks, Rue 21, new
Shoes, X-appeal “Tina”, thrifted
Enjoy this day!
By Lynn, on April 11th, 2012%
Knowing you want to tour more of my mother’s lovely yard and gardens, here we go! I know we’ll have a swell time looking at bud and bloom alike! And don’t forget the creatures! Real and not real.
Seems at every turn there is a chicken watching the goings-on. The owl, though totally UNreal he is, will hopefully keep away other birds of prey who want to swoop down and take a little chick! However, since the chicken has waddled right up next to the owl, one must wonder how effective it is. And my mother said she has actually seen squirrels standing on top of the owl’s head, so there you go! At any rate, I think it makes for a nice community spirit picture! The owl and the chicken.
Standing under the snowball viburnum. Oh, what a sight! Lovely, lovely! Can you imagine a bouquet of these for a wedding or a sweet 16 or tea party? My oh my!
Care to walk out around the pond’s edge again? No telling what we might see!
A fish?
A turtle?
A bull frog?
Tadpoles?
Or maybe Michaela fishing on the other side!
The goats are removed from the pond a bit, but they still have a pretty view! And lots of chickens and guineas close by!
And swoon! Be still my heart! My mother with the green thumb was “given one little fern” and would you look now! Isn’t the pink dreamy with the delicate fronds of the large ferns? It looks quite Victorian — except of course that it is located in front of a rustic log cabin. But it so works. Mama — you are the best!
Oh! Let’s go down this little pathway! But let’s don’t scare the chicken!
We’ll go right under the viburnum again.
Right down to the cute little tool shed.
Isn’t this garden just the best? The whole yard is full of adorable little areas that just stand out all by themselves, but they all work together to make a gorgeous landscape. And I promise to share more, until I have worked my way through all 100 pictures!
And now, in vintage fashion news:
A vintage Leslie Fay dress, with the most perfect gray color and pretty little horizontal and vertical stripes with touches of pinky-peach. And since it has been a bit cool the last few days (winter is saying goodbye)…
I hope you enjoyed our little visit — a very special walk through one of the best gardens ever! It continues to be very chilly here this morning, so I am going to don another new (to me) vintage Leslie Fay; a very cozy black and white number with a houndstooth print. Will be sure and show you how it turns out!
Enjoy this day!
Oh, and a big PS!
I am including the tags in this post, if you want to comment right on this post and leave your name in the hat!
If you are interested in receiving free, 9 vintage-y gift tags decorated in images from old Sears Roebuck images, be sure and leave your name in a comment! We will draw a name out on Saturday, 4/14/2012.
By Lynn, on April 10th, 2012%
Good morning! Would you pull up a chair and let’s talk? I would love that! I also cherish each comment and every bit of feedback from you all! And if you do leave a comment or question, be sure and check back — some of the best convos take place right here in the comment section!
A couple of vintage chairs in my mom’s garden.
Exercisers! Players! Kids, young and old! Continuing on with the theme of what children did as, well, children! And have girls really changed that much? I introduce to you the Balla Rolla! A vintage toy that I picked up on a thrift store outing years ago. I knew the children (and I) would love it, and so we do!
An exercise and balance toy from the 1950s and 1960s.
The board goes on top of the roller (shown standing on end).
Just step aboard and balance! And what you end up with is a recipe for fun and toned-up thighs, or disaster, depending on your balancing tendencies!
Dare I step on?
Yep. I think I will.
Actually we have never had anyone get hurt on it, and I found after practicing that I am really rather good at it! It is very sturdy and will only rock so far in either direction, so I have found that it is pretty hard to actually fall, though I have lost my balance and sort of jumped off before! I do very much feel the pull on the muscles in my thighs when balancing, so I try to spend a few minutes on it every day.
The children love it! Even children who come over for a visit find that they have to try it out. Michaela and one of her friends had fun dressing up in my dresses and trying to balance on the Balla Rolla.
After purchasing the Balla Rolla, I wondered about its history. I do see on the label that it was made by Carrom Industries, a company which apparently has been around for a long, long time. I am not sure exactly when this Balla Rolla was made, or if there were knock-offs, but I did find a picture from my July 1954 Good Housekeeping showing a little girl on a Balla Rolla or something similar.
Picture source: July 1954 Good Housekeeping
I guess, once again, our children have not really changed so much. They want and need attention and good, clean fun!
Red shirt, thrifted, Style & Co
Polka dot skirt, thrifted, Confessions (okay — a favorite)
Red leather belt, thrifted
Gray over-the-knee socks, new, Rue 21
Red leather shoes, thrifted, Banana Republic
Rosy brooch, made by yours truly
Before I go, I have a little treat that we want to mail to someone! We want to do the old-fashioned pull-a-name-from-a-hat!
If you are interested in receiving free, 9 vintage-y gift tags decorated in images from old Sears Roebuck images, be sure and leave your name in a comment! We will draw a name out on Saturday, 4/14/2012.
Remember to enjoy this day!
By Lynn, on April 6th, 2012%
My dear readers, Happy Good Friday to all! I put a post on this morning, but lo and behold 95% got lost in transit when I hit “publish.” That has never happened before and I did NOT have time to do it again at that moment. At any rate, at least my pictures were ready to quickly upload again, so here I have returned to wish everyone a Happy Good Friday!
Yesterday was a glorious day off, and celebrate I did! I visited a local store called Vintage Revival. I have taken you there before, but I think it was back at Christmastime! Now all has been transformed to pink and white and all the lovely pastels of spring!
There were lots of flowers.
A vintage red dress.
Lots of lovelies in a Hoosier.
Dresser tops.
And be still my heart, I do not remember seeing all this the last time I was there! Do you know just how cute cowboy boots are with a vintage dress?’
And wouldn’t ya know! Right across the room! Vintage dresses. Ahhh.
I caught a glimpse of the prettiest little hat stand. And myself.
I found a vintage dress to try on.
Or two.
The polka dot was cute…? Well, not really. And the arm holes were just too small. Wondering who wore it! But the first one was way cute! And I love the way the bodice was made. I did not get it, but left to think it over. I am in no way a label connoisseur yet, so perhaps a bit of research is in order first.
I drooled over this beautifully lit bed.
The pictures, as you may have noticed, are not the best quality, and really do not do the store justice, but all I had with me was my camera phone. Still, I thought you’d want to see something from my visit there!
On another beautiful note, I stopped by a friend’s antique store and added about 15 more vintage postcards to my collection, three of which are rather timely!
Do remember to enjoy this day!
By Lynn, on April 5th, 2012%
Happy Thursday, dear readers! Is spring in the air for you? Are you enjoying spring blooms? Are you thinking of cleaning out and making your homes nice and bright and airy for summertime? I know I am! And it feels so good!
Let’s get right to the point. You know I have veered way off the path of my normal clothing habits back at the old house, when I was running outside throughout the day to care for bun-buns and pull a few weeds on my breaks. I suppose without a garden to care for, my interest had to be focused on some sort of fun, new hobby to entertain an idle mind. We don’t want to be idle! At any rate, I have just become totally fascinated with not only the clothes but the culture of the 1950s and 1960s. And even 1940s. And maybe 1930s. Not that I want to live it. I don’t mean that. It’s just that I have always taken for granted that I just knew what that time period was all about! After all, it’s not that far removed from where we are on the timeline now! But I don’t really know. I keep uncovering ideas and trends and thoughts that have piqued my interest to no end!
So I realize that this outfit is not anything authentically vintage. In fact, the shirt is a stretchy 1970s looking knit with a pattern that I would not have given even a second glance to a year ago, but here I am wearing it, and with a white ruffled skirt! And a belt. And anklets. And platform sandals. Yah. Honestly, I think I may be too old to run about town in anklets and sandals, but it is way fun for the apartment, for walking Annie, for keeping my toes warm while I sit and type all day. And here again, Lynn has lost her mind over retro, so bear with me!
Maybe the main thing I want you to take from this picture is the very fun chain of paper dolls that my mother made for me. Do you know I can remember sitting in her lap or snuggled close beside her in the 1960s and having her teach me how to do this myself? How to fold paper and cut a doll so that when you opened the paper up the dolls were all attached? Yes! And my mother has recently taken this craft to a whole new level for her farmer’s market booth, with painted dollies on heavy paper! What a smart, industrious lady she is! I feel another request for a guest post coming on!
My hair is tied up with a scarf-turned-headband and then put in a very loose bun on top of the scarf. It works. The pins just go on and around the scarf — whatever it takes to hold the hair. My general rule for holding up a hair bun is 10 long bobby pins. I count usually. One through ten.
Interested in a tutorial? Maybe I can combine the updo with a skin care tutorial — not that I am so perfect in the skin department. I have loads of laugh and smile lines! But I do have some ideas about things!
On the food front, I have tried to be really good, but the flesh is weak! I have had a very hard time finding time to get to the gym (although I have been fitting in some situps and pushups around the apartment in the evenings) and my sweet tooth has acted up a few times!
Enter a little cup of cherry vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup.
Yum!
Now, as a final treat for you, not that you don’t already seen enough of me (sorry) but I wanted to share another grandmother picture. My paternal grandmother. And let’s test you to see if you see her in me. Several of you saw my maternal grandmother in me. Are you ready?
She was another one who loved clothes! And hats! Oh my, did this woman love (and could so wear) a hat!! Both of my grandmothers, I can easily say, were fashionistas!
Enjoy this day!
By Lynn, on April 3rd, 2012%
My dear friends, Happy Tuesday morning! It’s a beautiful day here today! The air is perfect — not too hot, not too cool. The sun is shining. It feels like a beautiful spring day!
Recently, my sweet mother gave me some bits and bobs from an old jewelry stash. In it was this very cool vintage pin. Neither of us knows how old it is, but it has a lovely patina and it feels and looks quite vintage. The only problem was that it was missing some of its faux gems.
I did not see the need in running out to try and find something exact for this piece of costume-style jewelry when I could fill in the gaps with similarly-colored, tiny beads from my craft stash.
The large center “gem” was missing too, and I have no idea what had been there originally, but I decided to use a large, pretty bead from my bead box that seemed somewhere in between the dark blue and the bright white of the other “stones.” 
Friends, while this is not a professional jewelry repair tutorial, I suspect (if you are like me) you have seen costume jewelry pieces before that you passed over because they were missing stones or gems. Quality beads and Krazy glue did the job! I say quality beads because truly these are not simply the easily-scuffed plastic beads you find in children’s bead kits, but rather beads I have purchased for the purpose of brooch making and other clay crafts that I do. Actually, these came from Rare Earth Beads.
As I mentioned in a comment from yesterday, I have been drawn greatly lately to plaids, stripes, polka dots, and lots of blues and reds! It’s amazing how huge life changes and times of challenge and growth change us in every way and make us look to things we had not considered before.
Today’s Outfit:
tan ruffled skirt, thrifted, (no tag)
plaid shirt by Lots of Love, thrifted
over the knee socks, new, Rue 21
platform sandals by Report, thrifted
vintage pin, gift from mom, repaired by me
ENJOY THIS DAY!
By Lynn, on April 2nd, 2012%
My dear blog-land friends, Happy Monday Morning (poo)!!
I missed you over the weekend, even if I did squeeze in a tiny post on Saturday morning before work; but I feel like I haven’t really been here since Friday!
Azalea bloom in Yorktown, Virginia.
And in a way, I haven’t! I had the opportunity to visit my sweet sister in the beautiful Tidewater area of Virginia! Oh my, be still my heart, I love that place! My sister’s garden was just coming into bloom. There were lots of pretty flowers, but truly my sister was the most beautiful flower in the garden! We had such a nice time catching up, even if we did not have long together during this particular visit. We drank coffee. We walked around her yard. We talked. We visited a thrift store. We went to Starbucks. We drove the girls around. We talked. We ate at a favorite seafood joint — Harpoon Larry’s. We visited Fort Monroe. We watched part of the Goodys 500 Martinsville race on TV. We didn’t want to say goodbye.
Birdbath, columbines, azaleas.
Heart-shaped trellis and soon-to-bloom rose.
There are many things to share with you from the visit, but I cannot possibly pack them all into one post! I don’t want to overwhelm you and I must get to my work desk soon! I hope you all had a marvelous weekend! I hope it was as pretty and special as mine turned out to be!
Now, since this has evolved into apparently a thrift store fashion blog (among other things), without further ado:
Introducing the first dress in my vintage dress collection! Well, I do have some vintage dresses from the 1980s, and some reproduction things, but this is an honest-to-goodness Sears and Roebuck Kerrybrooke dress, maybe from the 1950s or 1960s? Anyone care to take a stab? I do wish I had time to research it this morning, but I really do not!
I look at this 1959 vintage GE ad and see the dress length, the full skirt, the belt, and I think 1950s. The dress I have on, however, has a mandarin-type collar.
At any rate, I nearly fainted away when I saw it on the GW Boutique rack, for I of all people should know if it is quite the rare thing to find such a dress in GW Boutique, and I do say that it is!
I could almost be standing on Walton’s Mountain, except for the cell phone.
The detailing of the dress is amazing! And it is in FINE shape! During the 4-hour drive to Virginia, I made this lovely fabric flower brooch. I think it fits the dress perfectly! I made another brooch on the way home, which you will see some time this week!
While this dress currently fits like it was designed with my size in mind, I really could not afford to gain even 1/2 inch in my waist and be comfortable! What shall I do!!?? Ahhh, enter the corset. Yes, friends, no wonder ladies wore them. This dress has lots of room in the sleeves, in the chest, but the waist is certainly meant to fit someone who keeps her waist under control! Thank goodness my corset supply closet is stocked up!
Just look at the large buttons! And every single one is present and intact. Like I said, the dress is truly in fine shape. It makes me guilty that I paid only about 4 dollars for the dress, but I ain’t gonna complain!
Here’s a picture of the label — in case my dream comes true and someone comes by who can “date” the dress for me!
As much as I hate to run, I simply must. Will be putting together some fun posts for this week! Lots of pictures! More mystery and intrigue! Shopping galore! And cleaning out to offer items for a fundraiser yard sale! So stay tuned!
Enjoy this day!
1950s Dress from Sears
By Lynn, on March 29th, 2012%
Happy Thursday, dear readers! I am now 49 years old and 2 days. I was wondering this morning, what if I really paid attention to every single day? I try to do that anyway, but counting the days… Anyway, the days sure do fly by! I have 363 more days as a 40-something.
A recent, very sweet dress find is a little dress that fits like a glove and has beautiful detailing!
When I find a dress or blouse or skirt, or whatever, looking at the tag is NOT the first thing I do, though I do eventually get around to that. The first thing I do is actually be drawn to something. The color. The cut. The feel. Then I check the size. I can wear a range of everything from 4 to 12. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I am tall and have long arms and legs, and you know how very different brands are in their sizing.
Getting back to the label.
And the brand name is, I think, Qiamyili. Anyone know this language or what the brand name might be?
Anyway, on to putting this dress with accessories. In the first picture I have it on sans hosiery, for walking Annie on a very warm and pleasantly breezy afternoon.
The stripes in this dress make me feel quite ELECTRIC. And you wouldn’t know it, but Princess of the Universe was standing there cheering me on, so I was moving and posing under her watchful and careful eye. I think you can see, though, the white tights, red leather shoes, bright shiny red bag, and a rosy red brooch that I pulled on for going out and running my daily errands.
I leave you with a few spring flowers!
You might imagine what all is blooming in The Little Wild Garden right now…
Lady Banks
Wildflowers — vetch.
Enjoy this day!
By Lynn, on March 28th, 2012%
Yesterday was lovely; perfect, in fact. One of my favorite days ever.
I was happy all day, something about which to be very, very thankful indeed, when one stops to consider the news of the day and the emotional stress that some of us live in all the time and that all of us live in some of the time.
I was in at least two, er three outfits yesterday, and I recently found some AMAZING vintage dresses! You just wait. They are being lovingly laundered and ready to show off to you lovelies!
Yesterday was mostly a messy hair day.
New Vera Wang shoes. Enough said.
The days have been beautiful and sunny, but the wind breezy and chilly. Ahhh, such is March.
One of my favorites of trees, the crepe myrtle, begins to bud.
The bright green, springtime grass has Annie rolling!
…and rolling…
…and rolling!
Long days turning into long months and then into a new year and a new chapter in life, a beautiful story unfolds. In time.
EnJOY this day!
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About Lynn 
Approaching-50 mother of four. Thrifter. Content with lots of clothes bought for very little money. Loves retro. (That could be styles from the 40s and 50s. And sometimes stuff even older than that. And sometimes stuff from all time, all mixed up together!) Bluffs about decluttering but secretly loves STUFF. Goes through stages. Has standing and staring spells before rearranging the entire home. Just because. Tune in each day to see what new outfit comes home from G.W. Boutique next. (That's Goodwill, by the way.) Oh, and she owns a spoiled beagle named Annie. And this blog.
Grab A Button <div align="center"><a href="http://www.amothersjournal.com" title="A Mother's Journal ~ A Bit of Birdsong"><img src="http://www.innatelygray.com/images/abitofbirdsong_120_200.jpg" alt="A Mother's Journal ~ A Bit of Birdsong" style="border:none;" /></a></div> The Players
Lil Ol' Me
Son Daniel, 23
Son, Big Joe, 21
Son, John, 17
Daughter, Michaela, 13
Annie Fatso Beagle
My Symphony
To live content with small means; to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion; to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich; to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly; to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart; to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never. In a word, to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common. This is to be my symphony.
William Henry Channing
1810-1884
What You Do Sow a thought, reap an action.
Sow an action, reap a habit.
Sow a habit, reap a character.
Sow a character, reap a destiny.
Contact Me 
I would  for you to leave a comment, but you can also e-mail me at lynn AT thehealthyhomeschool.com
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