Antique Notions

bag of notions - $11 USD

It's no secret that one of my favorite pastimes is antiquing - and thrifting - and estate sales. I was indoctrinated to the world of once-loved belongings by my fabulous Grandma, Josephine. Grandma and I used to spend a lot of time together in my childhood - and there were a lot of amazing weekend afternoons spent at local antique malls, antique expo shows, and garage sales - whether shopping or selling. Even now, I feel like I'm with my Grandma when antiquing; and that feeling of being an explorer who has stumbled upon some ancient treasure still excites me.

As you may well know, antiquing can sometimes be a let down. You scour the cluttered shelves, tabletops, and cubbies for that special something that truly reminds you of something - even if you don't know what. You are overcome with a desire to own that something - again, perhaps. And then you look at the price tag. Sometimes, you get really lucky; but more often than not, the wind is blown out of your sails - and the piece is replaced to it's dusty shelves. You walk away from the antique store forlorn, knowing that little gem will collect dust for years to come.

Okay, so maybe it's not that dramatic or woeful for you. In fact, if it was so depressing, why would we ever go back? But I'm sure you've experienced that feeling on some scale - and had to walk away from said treasure trove empty-handed. But you don't have to leave all of the antiquities behind, to age and wither. Some antiques are truly affordable - and will fulfill that empty little spot inside every shopper. My personal favorite is antique linens and notions. Yesterday, in a belated birthday celebration just for me - I headed off to a town full of antique stores. And, my friends - I definitely scored well in the fabric department! Here are a few of the fabulous fat quarters I found - all for a dollar or less:

Seriously the cutest Eskimos I've ever seen!

Is it art? or is it just fabric? Amazing!

incredibly sweet baby dress - $1 USD!!

Found Family

Yesterday, I was inspired by a post from Amy at Ponder and Stitch, in which she ponders about the lives of an unknown family, whose antiquated portrait she holds dear. I hate to be unoriginal here, but I was so glad to know I'm not the only one who's keeping old portraits hanging around, that I thought I'd share my story, too. On New Year's Eve 1999 I decided to do some digging through the storage unit in my apartment complex. I'm not sure what drove me to do such a thing at all, let alone on what was supposed to be the biggest party-night of my young life. But amidst all the cobwebs, dustbunnies, and clutter, there was one small cardboard box full of promise and romance. There in the darkness of the storage unit, I opened the small box to find hundreds of ancient polaroids, news clippings, birth and marriage certificates, and passports. I had stumbled upon the archives of someone's life!

I took the box upstairs, and passed the last hours of the century piecing together the pictures and documents - stringing together her story. Her name now evades me, all these years later. Her story is burned in my brain: a young girl, working as a secretary in the midwest, meets a charming young man from British Honduras, leaves home to marry him, travels the world, and tragically passes away at twenty-four. And I can never forget her face. I tried for some time to locate any survivors, but as she had no children, and was the youngest of her family, there were none. Since finding the box, and learning her story, I have become her survivor. I restored some of the old polaroids, and have kept her in a proud place on the walls of my home since that night.

Vintage I'm Already Nostalgic For...

I absolutely love love love thrift shops, salvage yards, and of course - antique stores. It delights

me that part of my "job" includes being able to go to said places and justify my shopping habit simply by selling on Etsy. However, there's always a small moment of...dare I say it, reluctance - that occurs when I have to part with one of these treasures. This morning I woke to see another goodie sold, and while I'm of course happy that someone will truly enjoy this small wonder, the reluctance to part with her has crept in again. I'm reminded of being a young child, shopping for birthday party gifts for friends...and not wanting to wrap them.

So I have, over time, tried to make a celebratory process of packaging. If it's a figurine you're getting, you receive a teensy thank you note for bringing it home (from the figurine, of course). Accessories, home decor, etcetera are also treated with an air of honor, sans note. This helps me resolve the "reluctance" and create real joy, imagining the buyer opening the package with delight - dancing around the house, clutching their glass bowl, figurine, or pillow close to their heart.

Today, after parting with the Glass Songbird, I decided to pay a little homage to a few of my favorite vintage sales: