Seeking Everyday Beauty & Velvet Strawberries

My Vintage Passion

George, the boys and I spent Sunday afternoon walking through the streets of downtown Fredericksburg. It was such a beautiful day to casually stroll through town together. I forgot my camera though. Darnit, I keep doing that! We had lunch at one of our favorite spots in town. It's locally-owned and fresh, fresh, fresh. They bake their own bread for sandwiches and squeeze fresh lemons to make lemonade. Simple things that make all the difference in the world. We asked each other the same question we always ask when we go there. "Why isn't this place more crowded? Why would people rather go to a chain restaurant or grab fast food?" A mystery, indeed.

Our downtown area is laced with antique shops and interesting little boutiques that beckon from the street. George waited so patiently (thank you, darling!) while I popped into a few of them. I found several old hats and trimmings for a song. Couldn't pass those up! I did pass up a lot of other things that I would have probably grabbed in the past. I'm trying to really be selective with my vintage purchases. Asking myself, Do I really love this? Do I have a place for it? Does it go with my aesthetic?  Does anyone else find themselves doing this lately? How much stuff do we really need? Clearing out the clutter is a wonderful feeling, but it seems there's no point in doing it if we're just going to turn around and fill the house again. When is enough enough? This is the way I've been feeling lately. Being selective. Choosing only that which I truly believe is useful or beautiful.

I'm going to bet that my husband doesn't think old hats are useful or beautiful, but I sure do! Since high school, millinery hats and trims have been one of my passions (purses and jewelry being the other two big ones). I always scoop them up when they're priced right. I can pass up a lot of cool old things, but millinery is not one of them! So, what about you? Are you feeling the need to be more selective lately? Do you tend to seek out specific vintage items when you're treasure hunting? What's your vintage passion?

June Already?

I don't know why I keep thinking it's mid-May. I mean, what happened to May? Wasn't it just April? I've been running around here like a crazy woman trying to get things done. Too much to do, not enough time in the day. Same old story. It is said that life is only as complicated as we make it. Apparently, I've managed to make mine pretty complicated! Just need to take a breather and get caught up.

And, I don't know WHAT I was thinking with the shop update this week. I have dozens of new things waiting for their turn in front of the camera, (vintage baubles, lovely new millinery, trinkets, charms, French candy and more) but they are going to have to wait a little longer. Later this week, we're heading to Ohio to visit family for a long weekend, (cannot wait!) and I have to get caught up on orders so I can leave here with some sense of accomplishment. If you are waiting on an order placed last week, I apologize that it has taken a little longer than usual to ship. I packed many up this weekend and will get the rest out before the trip. George is out of town for work (he works out of town as much as he works in town). I miss him terribly, and obviously the days are hectic and Tuedays start to feel just like Saturdays. Jeez, could I complain a little more? I don't really mean to, just sort of typing the thoughts that are bouncing around in my brain.

I have so many blog posts to write: one about the Mother's Day gift George surprised me with, one about some wonderfully thoughtful gifts from my customers and readers, and one about Sam's nursery (so I can show you some of his cute baby things and the cherished painting Holly did for his room). I promise to share these stories soon, friends.

Right now, I just need to breathe......And clean the bathroom for the 5th time today. For those of you with sons, I ask you: How long before they learn to aim??? Will I be repetitiously cleaning the toilet seat through their high school years?

Now then, anyone have a bottle of wine?

Art & Soul & Friends & Fun

Goodness, I didn't mean to be away from here for an entire week! It's been a week of playing catch-up from being gone last weekend at the Art & Soul Retreat. It's amazing how only 2 days away can set me back a whole week.

The retreat was awesome and Lisa and I got in some much needed time for ourselves. Time to chat and create and relax and have fun. We decided we need to do this more often and have already started thinking about another art retreat. We took Sally Jean's class, "The Girl's Got Gothic", and here we are proudly modeling the necklaces we made. Try to ignore the bags under our eyes.....we had been in class for over 8 hours by this point and were just so darn happy to have finished the project! After this, we headed to dinner and then wound up in the lounge where we met up with Dede, had some vino and relaxed!

It was fun to piece together random elements that I love into one necklace. I've been making new jewelry from old jewelry for years, but this was different. Adding the photo charms made it very personal and meaningful. 

I used pictures of Mario and Sam and a picture of George and I on our wedding day.

This rose cabochon necklace has been in my stash for a while, and I was happy to give it a home here. Pink and green, my old faithfuls. No matter what color trends come and go, those 2 colors remain my favorites.

Some bits of jewelry, worn out pearls, a Lucite button and some old lace were put to good use.

The main Gothic-shaped piece is a collage I made using my Little Andrea picture, some wallpaper scraps and a snippet of old ledger I found that says "Mrs. S". It's hard to see, but there is a tiny flocked flower under the glass too.

Then, I used a scrap of an old cloth measuring tape and some more bits of old jewelry.

And a little velvet strawberry to finish it off.

What a fun class this was! Sally is just delightful and seems to radiate positive energy and creativity. And, man, can she solder like no one I have ever seen. She makes it all look so effortless. It got me in the mood to solder again.....you know, in my spare time.

A fun time was had by all, and I can't wait to do it again!

Happy Weekend everyone!

 

Ready to Go {well, almost}

 

I'm heading to the Art & Soul Retreat in Hampton, VA with my friend Lisa. In fact, she will be here in an hour. Yikes! I have no makeup on and am still packing up my soldering supplies and a million little objects that I may or may not add to the necklace I'll be making in class. I'm taking it all....just in case.

Goody boxes for classmates. Check.

Gift for the teacher. Check.

Overnight bag. Check.

Purse. Check.

Shoes and jewelry. Check.

Got all the essentials taken care of. Now I just need to relax and enjoy the weekend! See you all next week! 

32

Today is my birthday! To celebrate, I decided to bake myself a cake using the gigantic cupcake pan I bought a few months ago. This is one big cupcake, and with my husband out of town, I'd hate to think I have to eat the entire thing myself. Not to worry, Mario is a good cupcake eater too.....and some friends are stopping by so they can help me out as well.

It's 1:30 in the morning on April 22nd, officially my birthday, but also time for bed. Morning will be here too soon, but at least I'll have sweet dreams!

Happy Day!

Making Pink Lemonade

Thank you to everyone who left a comment of support or said a prayer during this sad time. Your words and kindness were felt and so very much appreciated. I felt the compassion and sincerity in every comment and email I received. It was an awesome feeling to know so many people care. My friends are doing ok, just taking each day as it comes. The sun rises every day, and life continues. Sadly, it's not the same as before, but it continues nonetheless. Sometimes it would be nice if time could just stop (or even reverse) for a while, let us regroup, take a deep breath, figure some things out, and try and make sense of it all. But, it just doesn't work that way. And there is no sense to be made of this. No rationalization at all. But, I do know that the power of love is amazing, and the kindness of humanity is reassuring.

If anything positive can come out of a tragic circumstance like this one, I think it is the reminder that life is fragile and that people need people. At the funeral service, the pastor spoke about refocusing our lives. Focusing on the important things and showing kindness and compassion to others. It's true that something so small can make such a big difference in someone's day. Try to find something GOOD in everyone and in every situation, as difficult as that may be sometimes.

In this same vein, last week I encountered something negative, and I struggled to see the positive side of it. Someone left me an anonymous comment (which wasn't so anonymous) on a recent post saying hurtful, untrue things about me. I know there are always going to be people who feel the need to hide and shout nasty things from the sidelines, while covering their faces. It hurt my feelings, of course, but I knew it wasn't true. I know what I am, and I certainly know what I am not. I am honest. I try to do the right thing. I am not deceptive. I am not spiteful. I try to treat other people as I would like to be treated. I have been put in awkward situations, and I try to handle them with grace. Once in a while, something happens that shakes my faith in people. And then I realize it's just that one person or that one event, or whatever. Let it go, Andrea. Just let it be. There is nothing you can do about it. It's just a bad apple.

I guess that's the positive aspect right there: one bad apple makes all the other apples look so much shinier and better. It made me realize (even more than I already did) how many wonderful people are woven into the fabric that is my life. I am blessed and lucky and happy and loved. The one or two rotten apples are irrelevant in the scheme of things, ya know?

This blog is a place to share beauty, build friendships, and be happy! I could sit here and write about people who have done me wrong, deceived me, flat out lied to me....blah, blah, blah..... but this is not the place for any of that, and I won't let it become that place. I am focusing on good things, the positive things. The good stuff far outweighs the bad!

Petty nonsense does not live here.

Happy lives here.

Friends are always welcome here.

Beauty lives here.

If you read all the way to the end of this post......(thank you)...... I hope you will share my focus and spread a little kindness and try to see the good and the positive side of things. Be nice and think twice before uttering negative words. Take lemons and make lemonade....and better yet, make it PINK!

Life is too short. I know we all know this, but sometimes it takes a sad circumstance to put things back in focus.

I hope you have a happy weekend and get a chance to share a little joy with someone else! I'll be back very soon with lots of shop updates and pretty things to share with you!

My List of Things to Do

I have a list a mile long of things I need to remember to do before we leave this weekend. Happily, I got quite a bit accomplished yesterday and was able to check some things off my list. When George got home from work, I headed to the mall. This is something I never do, but let me tell you, it was wonderful to go shopping alone. Just Wonderful.

1}  I needed a dress for this weekend, and found one. I love the way it fits...a small miracle.

2} Then, of course, I needed jewelry to go with the dress. I'm in luck because I bought these pretty opal crystal earrings from this shop recently! They are perfect since they're so versatile, simple and chic.

3} I had orders to fill and wanted to wrap up a few other special packages for friends. These are for a fellow blogger, shop owner, and lover of pink.

Here is the part of the list that is NOT complete yet:

4} Pack for the trip. My clothes, the boys' clothes, diapers out the wazoo, straightening iron, curlers, (yes I straighten my hair and then curl it. I would look like Diana Ross if I didn't. Trust me.) Let's see, what's else......bibs, burp cloths, toys, blankets, stroller, snacks, DVD's for the car ride, chocolate, camera, magazines. I'm sure I am missing about 50 items that will end up in the car before we leave.

5} Finish laundry.

6} Assemble an Easter basket for my mom.

7}Take the car in for a service appointment.

8}Mail all the International Orders. (I have to go to the post office for these....the rest of them I leave on my doorstep for the mail lady!)

Oh, and I haven't even told you where we're going. We're going to Ohio for Sam's Baptism!

We wanted to do it there so that my parents, grandparents, brothers and their families could be a part of it. Then, the kids and I will be staying the week at my parents new house. I'm sooooooo looking forward to this trip. My mom and I have already scheduled a trip to the big flea market in town. I'll be looking for more goodies for the shop (and for myself, of course!)

Whew, this list is making me tired. Tomorrow is another day. For now, it's off to bed I go. See you all soon.

Bits of Beauty

I've had a rough couple of days. Nothing major and certainly nothing that most mothers don't go through at some point. Just a major lack of sleep and not knowing if Sam is getting enough to eat and wondering why he seems to cry 24/7. I have so much to do and the days seem to slip by. Am I doing something wrong? I'm not sure. I could cry at any given moment and feel like soaking in a bubble bath for a week straight. No phones, no computer, no cooking, no obligations. Just quiet stillness.

So, to cheer myself up a bit, I walked around the house and started snapping pictures of my favorite little bits. My everyday beauty. I don't do this often enough. I love our home and all of the little things inside of it. These small things make me smile. As I sifted through the pictures I took, I found that most of them had flowers in them. My eye is just drawn in that direction I guess. I'm certainly ready for Spring flowers. This non-daylight savings crap is for the birds! I need sunshine and light and longer days.

This is an old mirror on the wall in the foyer. My mom and I never visit each other empty handed. She brought this for me when she came out in October for Sam's birth. It's one of my very favorites.

The picture above was random luck. I was rearranging things on some nearby shelves and had set everything on the buffet while I dusted the shelves off. I glanced over at the buffet and thought to myself, "this looks like a table at a flea market." I loved this vignette I had created purely by accident. I almost didn't want to put everything away!

This is my mom as a child. And some old barrettes I've gathered along the way.

Just a beautiful old corsage. The faded colors are to die for.

This old aqua hatbox was found hiding at the top of my grandma's closet when I visited her last summer. She always asks me to come over and go through her things and take whatever I'd like. There are some really cool old things hiding in that house. She also gave me most of these old beaded cocktail rings (below). They sit on this porcelain hand on my dresser.

So, there you have the nickel tour of some of my favorite things. There are lots more, maybe for another rainy day. Thanks for "listening" to my ramblings. Tomorrow is a new day and hopefully a better one. So, does anyone want to come over and cook dinner?

My Weirdness

Well, I have been tagged twice now. Once by Miss Foof-a-La, Teresa McFayden, and once by Mary Smilove of Sweetpeas and Snapshots fame. So, I guess I'd better get crackin'.

Here's the deal. I have to list 7 weird things about myself. Me, weird? My husband tells me almost daily that I'm weird, but when I asked him to help me think of 7 things, he was at a loss. He did finally remind me of the cat one (see below).

I'm kind of changing it up a bit. Instead of "weird" things, I'm going to list some weird and some just unusual things that you probably don't know about me.

First off, here are the rules…. each player starts with 7 random facts/habits about themselves. People who are tagged need to write on their own blog about their seven things, as well as these rules. At the end of your blog, you need to choose 7 people to get tagged and list their names. Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them that they have been tagged and to read your blog!

7 Weird/Unusual/Random Things About Me:

1. I didn't have a car until I was 27 years old. I drove my mom's when I needed to in high school, my roommates in college all had one and we did all our shopping together, then I moved to NYC and lived there for 4 years. I walked or took the subway everywhere. Then I moved to Bosnia for a year while my husband was working there. After we returned to the States, I got my first car!

2. My cat Phoebe was the first pet I ever had. I rescued her from an old warehouse in Brooklyn. When I got her home, I was afraid to pet her because everytime I did I thought her "bronchitis" was acting up again. Come to find out, she was just purring! I didn't know what it was supposed to sound like! (No, I swear, I didn't grow up in a closet)

3. After college, I rented a one room basement apartment in NewYork, and I thought I had hit the jackpot! The place was  full of roaches. George and I look back at this and laugh, laugh, laugh.

4. Before Mario was born, I spent lots of time riding around on the back of George's Harley. We even went to Bike Week in Laconia, NH. I never got  into the black leather thing though. George bought me a pink bandana to keep my hair out of my face.

5. I can hold a basic conversation in Bosnian.

6. I was the captain of my high school dance team (pom-pom squad). I got to perforn in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.

7. I'm 5'10" tall. Always wished I was short. Oh well.

There you have it.....

Now, for the tagging! I am tagging Dawn, Lauren, Kim, Heather, Lilia, and Jenny