Dressing Up

I've posted before about my obsession (one of many, thank you very much!) with dress-up clothes. I plan ahead for lots of things, but this one is rather specific. You see, I would adore a granddaughter someday. I'm such a girly girl when it comes to my home and my lifestyle. I could make Marmie's house into a super fun girl retreat. If nothing but boys come my way, I'll make do in other ways, but for now, collecting dress-up clothes is too fun to consider stopping for the obvious reasons that 1) my daughter is a mere 18 and not close to marrying age much less motherhood, and 2) if no grandchildren or only boys come into my life, I've got big ol' tubs of vintage negliegees, boas and high-heels cluttering up my attic space.

I started collecting dress-up clothes when I was pregnant with Harleigh, and they were one of her most favorite things to play with! Hours and hours of imaginary play. Loads of great picture opportunities. And all of that collection has been saved, and that is what I'm adding to. Here are four new dresses I found on the $1 rack at a thrift store this weekend. They're all smaller junior sizes.



This is the back, with all the lace and the two ribbon roses.

Things I'm Loving Right Now

Apparently this stylin' plastic lace-like bicycle basket has been around forever but I've just discovered it. And for $24.95 at The Container Store (plus an additional 20% off), I picked up one for the Candy Spelling Gift Closet and one for me! I'll use it just to haul stuff back and forth from car to house. Ain't it darling?!?!?


Chairs. I'm obsessed. Chairs remind me of dollhouses. Why? Have no idea. When I see them at a thrift store, they always seem to be saying to me "Take me home." Help me. I only have so many opportunities to sit in my own home. These two are some of my favorites.
Nests. Found ones. Empty. Sometimes with a long forgotten egg nearby. This one is especially sweet as it's on the tiny side.

Ridin' in Style

This chair cushion, found at Cost Plus World Market, was too dern cute to pass up. I have no chairs inside the house with a naked seat, and so I had to turn to the one chair I probably spend way too much time in and therefore is deserving of a little pick-me-up. Call me an old character.

26 days . . .

. . . until we pack it up and head off to college. We wrapped up another round of shopping yesterday. With a dorm room that contains a kitchen, living room and dining room, plus the two bedrooms, the needs list seems endless. In the meantime, I take one day at a time, and enjoy my girl every day that I have her at home. Here is a text message picture I got from her last week, asking if the Goodwill skirt she just bought worked out as a dress. Yes it does. Yes I love you. Yes you are sweetness and kindness. And yes you are growing up and will be leaving soon. Yes I will miss you beyond words.

Vintage Sears Roebuck Courier Bag and Baseballs for the Boy

Running errands on Saturday morning. With Harleigh going off to college, the thrifting isn't happening with the vigor it used to (every penny goes toward what the HOPE scholarship doesn't cover), and so pit stops at my favorite places was not an option. But I did see a yard sales sign that was written in elderly lady writing. Ya know what I mean? The letters have that lilt and deliberateness to them. Detour.

Indeed, it was an older widowed woman making a move to California. Getting rid of as much stuff as she could. I got a few items I'll share in later posts (along with a good story), but here is one that at 50 cents I couldn't resist. I've been wanting a new tote bag, preferably one that zippers. Have eyed the vintage airline bags but they're so doggone pricey. This Sears Roebuck Courier bag has a missing piece that locks the zipper in place, but who cares. Perfect for toting around all my loot.


Also got a box of old baseballs. Gideon has had a blast with these. Inside, in the evening, I can sit in my chair and roll these across the room. He's in heaven. Back and forth. Back and forth. Drop the ball in my lap. Roll. Fetch. Drop the ball in my lap. Roll. Fetch.
And last night, after a rousing game of "baseball," he fell asleep with his head on the clean laundry. Pure cuteness, if I must say so myself.

French Larkspur turns one = oolala giveaway

Take a stroll over to French Larkspur for this loveliest of giveaways. But do it quickly as it closes midnight on July 10.

She'll be giving away these be-U-ti-ful items from Maria at Dreamy Whites. Take a look . . . (photos by Dreamy Whites).

Lavendar pillows made from vintage French ticking —
A vintage zinc pitcher from France —
And a European grain sack pillow —

Happy Independence Weekend!

Harleigh went to the Duluth fireworks on Saturday night, and then she and I went to a picnic and wonderfully orchestrated fireworks show at a neighbor's house on Sunday night. The fact that they crossed state lines to purchase the pyrotechnics leads me to believe that what they shot off was probably illegal, but I suppose the magic of the lit-up sky while sitting in a lawn chair in the driveway made me quickly forget.

Then this morning was the Dunwoody parade, the largest Independence Day parade in the state of Georgia. I've never been before, which surprises me because 1) I love parades, and 2) Dunwoody is the next town over from Norcross. It was small town at its finest, but on a grand scale. Can't wait to include it on next year's 4th of July agenda!

This darling magazine cover has been hanging in my craft room, in a found frame with an ill-fitting matte. In desperate need of being reframed. I kept the painted wood frame and got rid of the matte, exchanging it for a background of scrapbook paper. The magazine cover is glued onto a piece of poster board and lays on top of the paper. Much much better.

College Orientation

Headed out of town yesterday around noon. Got into southern Georgia early enough that we decided to head straight to Savannah. Neither one of us had been there before, and we were both charmed by its . . . well, Southerness. We walked around, shopped — lots of vintage clothing stores (Harleigh found a great pair of worn-in Dingo cowboy boots and jeans) — ate dinner, witnessed the throngs of fans waiting for seating at Mother & Sons (Paula Deen's restaurant) and standing in line for her live cooking show at the theatre around the corner, then made it back in time to shower and lie on the bed with the laptop watching episodes of Modern Family and replaying portions that had us in pants-wetting laughter.

Up this morning and ready to head off to today's orientation!

The drive to Georgia Southern is quite desolate. Came across this gas station on one of our pit stops. El Cheapo . . . only here in the South.