Life’s treasures are really the sweet, simple things.  Like a little girl’s face when she finds what she’s been looking for for months, with fingers crossed, hoping and wishing for a typewriter. 

Goodwill.  19.00.  Owner’s manual and extra ribbons included.  Works like a dream.

It’s things like her daddy’s face when he read the birthday card she hand made, of course using the typewriter to type in the messages before decorating it.

Life is all about these things.  Smiles.  Relationships.  Doing for others.  Making do and waiting for just the right things.  It’s not easy as the world spins faster and faster on to the next new thing.

Proverbs 31 has been good for me lately, to help me focus on my homelife.

Hasn’t it been fun?  Well, it has for me, sharing fun thrift store finds and reading all of your very kind comments!  Today will be the last day, and tomorrow a day of rest from this fashion adventure. 

Can you tell whose baby Annie really is?  I love this little puppy, in spite of her, uh, inability to understand that her bathroom is OUTSIDE.  We will get it straight one day, though.

I love the dress pictured above because of the corset-type tie in the front, and there is a repeated exact tie on the back.  Oh, I do love it. 

Dress 4.00

I am closing with just one picture showing the beautiful detail of one of my current favorites, because I think beauty is in the details.  We fall in love with people as we find out their little ways and peculiarities — their details.  Much of interior design is in the details.  There are detail shops for cars.

When I go out shopping, I shop for things that make me happy and that I can make a connection with.  I also shop for functional things, obviously, because I’m buying clothes, but if I have to choose between a drab gray overcoat and a soft pink one with a pretty charm hanging from the zipper tab, guess what? 

Thank you all so much for having fun with me this week!

Today’s a work day.  It’s snowing here today.  Again.  I told Thomas spring was right around the corner.  ”Six weeks,” I said. 

“Where’d you get that idea?” he asked.

I was picturing the little groundhog and knowing that he had seen his shadow.

Thomas interrupted my beautiful thoughts and said, “You know they’re comparing this winter to only two others like it over the last 100 years.  This winter’s gonna go slam through March.”

Was he kidding?

Oh well.

PS - Tanya, just for you…

It does have a great twirl effect!

And Ginger, the skirt yesterday is 100% polyester.  I checked this morning. 

Delight in Disorder
by Robert Herrick

A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness:
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction–
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthrals the crimson stomacher–
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribbands to flow confusedly–
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat–
A careless shoe-string, in whose tie
I see a wild civility–
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.

I asked my husband one time if he thought I was odd and he said, “You are pleasantly eccentric.”  I had a grandmother who loved hats, scarves, and leopard prints and all sorts of unusual articles of clothing.  I remember when she would come and visit, we always waited in anticipation, wondering what she would have on.  Actually, I sort of love leopard print too, but it has to be just the right thing for me to wear it.  Fair skin and freckles somehow don’t always look great in leopard print. 

I love pairing two very lacy tops together.  Having a little bit of lace show through at a collar or neckline or waist is pretty to me, though too much is, well, too much. 

The skirt has a story.  I bought this skirt probably 10 years ago secondhand.  A few years later I was cleaning out to donate some things to a yard sale and my mother saw that skirt in the bag.  She knew I had really loved it and would probably miss it one day, so she pulled it out without telling me and put it up.  She pulled it out again about two years ago and said, “Remember this?”  It was like finding that skirt all over again.  I thanked her for saving this pretty skirt for me.  It’s got two layers to it, has a beautiful floral print and hangs oh so pretty.

Brown lace top – $3.00
Lacy under-layer shirt – $3.00
Twirly skirt – $3.00
Black tights – $1.00
Sam and Libby boots – $5.00

Apron?  The first one I ever made, about 25 years ago, out of fabric bought really cheap at a textile factory I was working at.

Have a beautiful Friday.  Here’s to a job at home, hot tea, and God’s beautiful creation just on the other side of the window pane.

Oh, the week is flying by!  Tomorrow I’ll be at my work desk, but we won’t think of that today!  No.

What we will think about is making the most of each day.  As I post this fun and sort of frivolous week of fashion, I am not unaware that there is great suffering around the world, and many would love to have any new clothes right now, let alone a large selection purchased at good prices.

So, we must do what we can to help others and we must be all we can in our places.  I fully believe also in Tasha Tudor’s saying that we must “take joy.” 

I would like to thank my photographer, Michaela, for setting the camera on burst and then getting me to twirl, which I’m not very good at, by the way.  I reminded myself of one of those little twirlers in a jewelry box when the wire has gone awry and she spins off balance. 

Black velvety dress – $4.00

Black tights – $1.00

Black Wal-Mart Mary Janes – $9.00

Finally, the apron was a splurge and was $20.00, more than the rest of the outfit combined, but there’s a story behind it.  I bought it locally, it is handmade and supports someone who crafts and makes things and sells them, and I think that is worthwhile.    So there.

Besides, everyone needs a pretty apron to wear while cooking and cleaning.

Happy Thursday!

Welcome back to the fashion show!  (That was really fun saying that.)

You get to see one of my current favorite shirts and my cluttered kitchen counter all at the same time!  What a day!

Once again I am layering shirts, which is a useful thing to be able to do since I’m so cold-natured.  The skirt for the day is really shiny and crinkly.  I should have gotten a closer picture of the skirt because the hem is trimmed in lace.  It’s really pretty with black boots.  I found it in a store called Rave, in the mall, on a clearance rack for for 5 dollars.  Most things in stores like that don’t work out for me because everything, uh, doesn’t have enough fabric in it, but this skirt and one just like it in brown came home with me.

I thought this picture was worth putting in because you get to see the bright sun.  The snow looked like it had been sprinkled with bright sparkly glitter.  It was so very pretty.  Made me appreciate Snowflake Bentley all over again!

The greenish-teal shirt underneath is the one that I’m really enjoying right now.  The brand is Stamp 10.  I love how the blue in the pin brings out the blue tone in the shirt.  The black shirt I love too, because of the lace in the V neck.  It’s Chaus Organic and looked like it had never been touched when I bought it at Goodwill.

Once again, I’m covered in shawls.  The red plaid shawl was my one new shawl purchase this year.  I’ll try really hard not to buy another one until the big after-winter sales next year.

Total cost:

twirly skirt – 5.00
black shirt – 3.00
blue-green shirt – 3.00
black tights – 1.00
red shawl – 25.00

Time for another feminine and frugal dress day.  Thank you for all of your comments yesterday!  That was fun!  I feel funny posting pictures all week of  just ME ME ME, but it is so much fun to share things like shopping, and I LOVE seeing what others do about dresses and such, so I guess it’s all okay.  Forgive me if you’ve had too much ME by the end of the week. 

No, the snow has not melted already.  These pictures were taken before the snow fell, in anticipation of posting my feminine and frugal dress week. 

I really love this new skirt.  I bought it secondhand but it still had the tags on it.

One of my favorite, favorite black wraps.  As you can see it has a pretty design woven into it in gray, but the overall color comes off as black.  I bought it new at Marshall’s about three years ago.

As usual, there’s a pin somewhere. 

I mentioned yesterday that I am not much for labels.  What I meant was that when I shop, which is often secondhand, I don’t just scour the stores looking for good labels.  I look for things that make me happy.  If it’s a big-name label, then it’s all that much better, but if it’s not, well that was not what I was looking for in the first place, though I do look for quality.

The blouse is just covered in girly-girl buttons and shiny adornments, so it’s so ME.

Total Cost:

bright pink and white rayon skirt – 3.00
soft, lacy 3/4 length sleeve shirt – 3.00
frilly blouse – 3.00
pink tights - 1.00
Wal-Mart mary janes - 9.00
pin – homemade
wrap – 20.00

Of course I had to take a couple of pretty garden pictures for you. 

Little patterns of what once was — asters make a pretty silhouette against the snow.

Garlic chives.

I hope you have a lovely Tuesday.  By the way, I hit 1001 posts this morning!  Yaaaay!

It’s been about a month ago that I found this book, The Quiltmaker’s Gift, at the thrift store.

Placed in a large stack of yet-to-be-read books, I actually forgot that I had it, until last week.  I’m surprised at myself over this, because as soon as I saw it I was in love with the illustrations and couldn’t wait to read the story. 

It also made me think of my sister, who is an amazing quilter.  I mean.  I’m always telling her that she should sell her quilts, and she says she likes to make them for people she loves and give them away.  It’s really something. 

Imagine my surprise, then, when Michaela and I began to read this story and found it to be about a beautiful, talented quiltmaker who will not sell her quilts.  She will only give them to the poor.  The quiltmaker is a lovely woman.  Her face is soft and gentle, but she is obviously a very strong woman.  It was a fabulous story and I thought of my sister through every word.   Which brings me to something I’ve been wanting to show you.

At Christmastime, I received a large box marked to “The Wilsons.”  The beautiful heart-covered quilt was in it.  From my sister.  Just look!

Some of the fabric has little paper dolls on it.  And the hearts!  How does she do it?  I cannot imagine.  She and I are so much alike, and yet we are so different.  She can do this.  I cannot.  It has always been like we walk to the same beat, but on two different paths.  However far apart we are, we are always close together.  I look at the squares and appreciate every single stitch.

So many memories…

By the way, the website to The Quiltmaker’s Gift was given in the book and is supposed to have games, stories of compassion, etc.  Michaela will be looking at it for school today.

On a final note, my little old man pin found a name.  Algernon.  Thank you, Audrey!  It’s the perfect name.  And into the shop this weekend went Old Man Mushroom and his baby.

It’s a work day for me today and I must get busy!  Have a lovely Monday.

This week at the thrift store, a box of old ornaments.  Dressed in vintage colors, angels singing.

A snip to remove the old strings, they were arranged into two little holiday vignettes in my craft area.

I find myself inspired.

Lynn

A few thoughts from my home today, a very rainy day with wind blowing gusts of rain drops into the window panes.   It’s a wonderful day to be inside with my children.  It’s a perfect sort of day for reading picture books and journal writing.  It’s a perfect day for Lemon Zinger tea with honey. 

Last night before bed, I straightened the house up so I could wake up to a nice clean house today and hopefully just enjoy a quiet day at home.  One of the things I did was to change out a curtain that covers a huge shelf in my old kitchen.  There’s not a lot of cabinet space in an old house, but this shelf I found a couple of years ago at the thrift store has been a lifesaver as far as space is concerned.  Thomas mounted it to the wall with brackets and we have enjoyed its expansive shelves immensely. 

The reason I am sharing this particular project is that the curtain is actually a king size duvet cover that tied at the open end.  It came from Goodwill for 5 dollars.  I took one look and said to myself that the ties would make it a perfect curtain. 

I love unusual things like this.  The pattern on the fabric makes me so happy!

On a Veteran’s Day note, we are thinking about my dad today, my children’s grandfather, who served in the Air Force in air traffic control, as a drill instructor, and in Vietnam as a combat controller. 

He was a handsome man with a kind, service-oriented way about him.  I miss him and think of him often.  I appreciate all of our veterans and active duty service men and women.  Thank you.

I hope you enjoy, as Pooh would say, this Winds-day, for around here it really is a “winds-day”

Lynn

Yesterday I was reading a post by Clarice at Heartfelt Thoughts from a Mother to Her Daughters.  It truly inspired me and it was exactly what I needed to hear read yesterday.  You should go read it for yourself.  It’s worth it.

One of our upstairs bedrooms, which my two oldest boys now share, had gotten ugly enough.  I mean for goodness sake HELP already!  We do vacuum and dust, but the walls were covered with the kinds of marks boys make through the years by firing lego pieces with a Nerf bow, wrestling, throwing things (gasp), and rearranging their furniture and dragging things across the walls.  Hopefully that sort of activity has died down a bit and we can expect this room to stay pretty now.

BEFORE:

Keep in mind that this is an old BEFORE photo.  The bunkbed has long since caved in and been discarded.  The high shelf on the wall is long gone, the walls were horrid and I’ll stop there.

While their room still needs work (ceiling, carpet, trim) it is SO MUCH BETTER today than it was when I woke up yesterday!

AFTER:

The paint color,  Jamaica Bay by Behr, was chosen from the fabric of the thrifted orange and blue curtains.

The quilt hanging on the back wall was also thrifted ($5.59) and I think matches the paint well.

I really like this little corner of the room.  It belongs to Big Joe.   

One of my favorite things about this corner is this framed print I found at the thrift store yesterday for…  Are you sitting down?  Only 3.99.   I think the print is actually really old.  The frame is not. 

I’m not sure you can see the detail of the print, but the top corners are a bit worn and there are faint “cracks” in the finish.  I love it!!  And the blue dress is lovely with the blue paint!

Perhaps it does not look exactly like a boys’ room, but how about a grown boys’ room?  Yes?  The boys still have their clutter and their man cave stuff, but the room is a little more mature.  After all, they’ll likely be married one day so they best get used to this type of decor, right??

One last framed print I purchased at Goodwill yesterday for 3.99.  I thought the yellow bird was also pretty against the blue paint.

This room actually needs a COMPLETE OVERHAUL, but that will likely not happen until the boys move out.  In the meantime it didn’t cost much to make it look presentable since the boys are older, and enlisting the help of the children and several paintbrushes and rollers, it only took two hours to wipe the walls free of dust and paint.

TOTAL COST:

Paint:  21.00
Thrift store curtains:  3.29
Wall quilt:  5.59
Curtain rods:  23.00
Thrifted framed art:  8.00
_________________________

Total: 60.88