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After spending most of January getting our house together (a project that is still in progress, but almost completed), I'm getting back into the groove over at my Etsy shop.
Cottage Style Beauties:
Vintage Kitchen Delights:
French Country Gems:
General Vintage Wonderfulness:
I'm continuing to scout out new items...come take a look!
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You may remember the gorgeous basket pictured above from my Christmas wishlist post in November. While I received a great many wonderful gifts, Santa wasn't able to bring this one.
Well, never fear! Home Goods comes through! I was wandering around the store, with my birthday present money in my wallet & came upon this:
I know! It's like it was there waiting for me. I pulled out my birthday money & it was in my car before anyone else could grab it!
The best part?
Stonewall Kitchen's version: $69 plus shipping. Home Goods: $29.99 plus tax & I walked it to my car.
Happy Birthday to me, indeed!
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I am SO late coming to the game on this, but I finally saw Julie & Julia this week. I wanted so badly to see it in the theater, but little miss 4 year old has totally nixed movie theater visits in the past few years. I'm actually glad that I saw it on DVD, because I can watch it again & again (Netflix, I'm getting my money's worth on this one!).
My review? I love it. I heart it. It inspires me. I watched it on my 37th birthday. As it turns out, Julia Child did not start cooking (seriously cooking) until she was 37. Hmmmm....
The visuals are perfect & the food...swoon! In the "making of" extra on the DVD, one of the film makers declared that they wanted movie goers to look at each other at the end of the film & say "Where are we going for dinner???" If you watch this film & don't want to become a better cook and don't want to eat better foods, then I'm pretty sure you didn't actually watch the same film as me.
I think that Glenn better prepare himself to be a guinea pig in the next few weeks. Boeuf Bourguignon anyone?
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Is it OK to write a blog post to celebrate your own birthday? I say, heck, why not? As I mentioned, January is so full of the glums, we need any excuse to get happy!
My birthday celebration started on Friday, with a wonderful lunch at Bistro L'Hermitage, a new-to-us restaurant. It is tucked in an entirely improbable location, but is a hidden gem.
I wish that you all could see my hair better in this photo. It took me 45 minutes with curling iron, but it looked so good. :)
Today, I'm going fun shopping, not to be confused with yesterday's fun shopping. This time, I'm going to an outlet mall, where I might actually buy something! Clear the aisles in Homegoods, here I come!
This evening, the previously mentioned french onion soup will be on the menu along with my birthday cake, which Glenn ordered for me. My favorite birthday cake is embarassing. I just LOVE grocery store yellow layer cake with buttercream frosting! Fancy cakes are wonderful, but it just doesn't feel like my birthday until I've had my grocery store cake. Mmmmm...I'm looking forward to a good day!
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Glenn has off MLK day & Hope's daycare is open, so we took a few hours to return to the haunts of our single days. Arlington, VA...we love you...if you weren't so darned expensive, you would still be our 'hood. In the meantime...
Lunch at Whitlows on Wilson. We used to go there so often that the wait staff & manager knew us by name....
If you are ever in the area, go there for the best neighborhood bar & restaurant around. Half price burgers on Mondays...mmmm.
Yuppie style shopping...love to window shop & occasionally I buy....
They were out of the ornament boxes that I need :( Antique ornaments still precariously on the dining room table.
I went to Crate & Barrel intending to buy these for the french onion soup that I'm going to make for dinner tomorrow
OK, so that is a really small photo! But, you know what I'm talking about. I talked myself out of them since we are on a very limited budget right now. If the onion soup is so good that it bears a repeat performance, I might go back for the bowls.
I went here for the eye candy.
Every time that I go to Williams-Sonoma, I take a few minutes to stare (& try not to salivate on) the copper pans with the acorn decorative bits. You know the ones that I mean. Twist my arm, here is a picture:
You can even get them monogrammed. Hmmm.
You may sense a trend in this adventure...I didn't actually buy anything yet. But, all was not lost! Barnes & Noble had a wide selection of British magazines! My quest fulfilled. I got these two:
It was fun to be back in Arlington & do some purely fun (mostly window) shopping.
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(photo by Terri Wise)
I'll be posting more very shortly, but I wanted to let you know about a series of posts that my sister is doing on her blog, The Shy Turnip. She has a truly gorgeous collection of vintage Christmas ornaments & has been showcasing them in the past few posts. My collection wants to be like her collection when it grows up! You should check it out!
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Every year it's the same & try as I have in the past to ignore it, it's true. January is full of the glums. The sun is at sunset through the entire day (I'd really rather it just be gray, honestly, if I can't have real sunshine) & the purpose of Christmastime has disappeared in a blink.
Yesterday, I decided to give myself a break. January is hard & since I don't have to be anywhere right now or doing anything right now (still unemployed), I didn't make myself do either. Mid morning, I took the most ridiculous bath, with the water almost to the top of the tub & not one, but two kinds of bubble bath
The raspberry smells so good & the tangerine makes great bubbles :) I pedicured my feet so they are usually soft for January.
After lunch, I went to Borders, in search of British home magazines. They were out (horror!), but I browsed & felt happy just to be there in the middle of the day.
That evening, we had a fire in the fireplace & I even did yoga. I went to be so happy & so much less glum than I've been in weeks. I even feel up to doing some housework today!
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My past week or so hasn't exactly been chock full of good blog subjects. Cleaning the house! Going through dusty old crap! Woo hoo! That is just what you tuned in for, huh?
Well, I have spent a teeny, tiny bit of time on fun stuff, namely re-arranging accessories after the Christmas decorations came down.
You're saying "Wait a minute! I've seen that stuff before...." Indeed, same stuff, I just keep re-arranging it. What can I say? I get bored. It's fun to see what I can do with the same 'ole stuff.
Here is the dresser in my kitchen, all changed up.
I arranged it all around the tin with the English beach village scene. I bought it a few years ago & never put it out....I don't know why. There's no explaining me.
The shells are completely out of season, but they look nice with the other things.
Here are a few new things, fabulous Christmas gifts from my aunt (aren't I a lucky niece? Yes, she does read this blog :)).
This beautiful plate found a spot in our hutch/secretary beside my etched glasses.
She knows that I love vintage kitchen goodies, especially in red. I was so excited to open up this sifter on Christmas day.
OK, so there are a few new things mixed in there. Now, I've got to go to ebay to sell some of junk great stuff that I found in our basement.
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I woke up to this today...just a little dusting of snow, but so pretty on the holly bushes. I should save this picture for next Christmas.
I've been working, working, working on the big de-cluttering project. We have cleared out a HUGE amount of stuff from the basement (photos to come) & cleaned out the pantry closet this morning. That was fun. Jello mix from 2006 anyone? Grenadine that I'm pretty sure is older than me (my parents gave us the contents of their liquor cabinet some time ago).
At least I remembered to take photos of this part of the project. This is the cleanest that the pantry has been in a long time & is probably the cleanest that it will BE for a long time.
Yes, I have a shelf devoted to candles & candlesticks.
My favorite part...everything decanted & labeled....
It feels so good to finally rid ourselves & our home of all of this STUFF. It's shocking in some ways, because we are getting rid of a massive amount of stuff & none of it do we need in the least or have any attachment to. Why did we have this stuff for so long?
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Hey there, blogging world! I've been a MIA the past few days, just trying to get life back in order after the glorious frenzy that was Christmas. And, tackling the huge task of going through, throwing out, recycling, donating & re-organizing the STUFF in our house. Not a simple task, with both myself & my husband being collectors & sentimental types. But, we are facing it head-on & making good progress. I'll take before & after pics for a future post.
I've also been working on my Etsy shop , adding lots of new products. Now that the holidays are over, I'm able to bring out the everyday vintage things that make me love vintage as I do. Some of my favorite new additions are:
1930s/1940s era fan
Silverplate dish with exactly the right amount of patina
1909 datebook that has every page, no writing...ephemera dream! I was tempted to keep this for myself, but I know that another, more talented, paper artist will truly use it to it's full potential.
1916 Shorthand instruction book...another ephemera dream
Arts & Crafts style buffet/dresser scarf
One of my cutest & most unique finds -- a revolving, musical cake plate! When you press a lever, it slowly revolves & plays "Happy Birthday".
I hope that 2010 is starting off wonderfully for all of you!
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