Tea Party, Anyone?

I've been thrifting. Like that really needs saying at this point.

I bought this crisp white and blue china set and some coordinating pieces and now all I can think about is throwing a tea party. Does that sound antiquated? Does anyone else feel feel like the tea party is in need of some modernization?

You know what I'm envisioning? I'm seeing some nice fall-ish sort of teas with some spiced applesauce cake, not served on pristine china plates, but on mismatched, coordinating pieces. Like, these, for instance. I'm feeling a shoes-off-feet-up-on-the-ottoman kind of party, with some jazzy piano music (Vince Guaraldi?) in the background, and autumn light streaming in with children playing in the background. That kind of tea party.

But I haven't the space to throw a tea party... so I just bought these china pieces instead. This makes complete sense in my head.

Lavender and a Wee Vase

Cuteness is directly proportional to size; the smaller a thing is the more adorable it is. Hence, this teeny vase I bought at Walmart. I plucked some cilantro flowers and lavender from the garden, filled my vase, and thoroughly enjoyed my tiny bouquet.

Thrifting: Pottery

I am completely in love with this blue glaze. 

I've developed this thing recently where I go into a thrift store and buy every handmade piece of pottery I can find. I call it treasure hunting. A certain brother who shall remain nameless calls it an addiction.

For Eleven Dollars...

This is the best eleven dollars I've spent in a while.

Thrifted

I've been thrift shopping. I bought a marble rolling pin for $1.50. I feel this is such a significant statement that I could stop right there, but there's more. So much more. 

Lessons Learned from Baby #1

1. It's the weirdest, most wonderful thing when your baby starts to kick. It feels like a little flutter at first because they are so ridiculously and adorably tiny, but as they grow, the kicks will get stronger. I'm not going to lie; I thought it felt kinda strange at first because hey, there's an entirely new person  in there, and he's kicking you, and you have no control over it. Wrapping your mind around that is a mysterious, amazing process.

Winston the Owl

This little guy's name is Winston. He's a guardian of good books, and he takes his job very seriously. 

How to Arrange Pictures (Or, How My OCD-ness Won Out)

So, confession: I have very little patience when it comes to hanging pictures. SO little. 

This usually results in triple the number of nail holes actually needed to hang pictures as I guesstimate, approximate, and generally bulldoze my way through the process of measuring and leveling. (WHY? Why is it so hard to make two nails level?! Must my pictures always be ever so slightly askew? Must my OCD-ness be constantly offended?)

After hanging far too many a picture using this precarious procedure, I have been reformed. 

Observe the genius of HGTV.

How to Give Thrifted Pictures Some Lovin'

Let's talk about pictures.

Pictures are the salt and pepper of the decorating world: they brighten and deepen the atmosphere of any room.

That was a touch philosophical for a Tuesday, wasn't it? Apologies; let's try again. Pictures: they add life to a room. (Ahh. Much better.)

In Which I Discover My Love of Scandinavian Decor

Have I ever told you that I'm slightly Danish?

Hans Peterson, my great-great-(great?) grandfather, immigrated to California from Denmark at the turn of the century, and his family became lumberjacks and married, among others, American Indians and Romanian Jews. Some years later, I showed up.

This new discovery (about my Danish heritage - not me showing up) has fueled some interesting research, which has yielded the following factoids:

Danes have been rated as the happiest people in the world. Not only do they have a princess, she's incredibly stylish. Oh, and they happened to produce Hans Christian Anderson. Don't you wish you were Danish now, too?

I kid. Somewhat.

My Wee Partridge, Take 2

Awww. 

She looks so happy.

Home Sweet Home

We finally have a home! And by home, I mean a place where we shall be living for the foreseeable future as opposed to just a few months.

Home. Isn't that word sweet? 

Here's a pictorial tour of our two bed, two bath apartment. We've never had so much space, y'all. I feel like I can breathe!

This is our family room. It's rectangular and deep. As you can see, we had just brought in all our personal belongings, which from this picture appear to be an assortment of duffle bags and backpacks. Classy: we has it. 

An Anniversary Present

So my very lovely mother-in-law got us this stained glass window as a wedding anniversary present. It's stayed with the in-laws until just recently when we finally had a chance to bring it to our new apartment.

 I've always admired stained glass, but I have a whole new appreciation for the art now.

Aaaaaaaaand We're Back!

Hey there, everyone!

After traversing half the country, then meandering along the east coast for the past month and a half, I can safely say I'm back. How I've missed you all!

During my absence, we obtained an adorable apartment, saw both sides of the family, had a splendid Christmas and ate entirely too much fast food. Oh, and I visited King Arthur Flour Bakery and Shop in Vermont and quite nearly died. Died, I tell you, from sheer joy. It was fabulous.

And a Partridge in a Pear Tree . . .

I painted that partridge I thrifted the other day. Here's the result! Isn't she gorgeous?

The before and after is pretty dramatic.

In Which I Rediscover the Joy of Thrifting, Part II

Dear Thrifting, 

You and I shall never be parted again. It's been way too much fun. Particularly on the book end of things. (Pun entirely intended.)

I love books. All books (trashy romance novels excepted). But my very favorite books are ones that I get for the price of a soda. 

Just a few Calvin and Hobbes in pristine condition. 

In Which I Rediscover the Joy of Thrifting, Part I

So I went thrift store shopping today for the first time in about a year and a half. It was glorious.

I had completely forgotten how thrilling it is to get lots of things you love for a pittance. And how exciting it is to see potential in things. And how musty some thrift stores smell.

But there was treasure to be found amid the mustiness. And I found it. Oh yes I did.

My loot. 

For the Birds (Again)

Success.

For the Birds

I bought bird seed and a bird feeder today. 

Oh yes I did.

In Which I Reveal My Obsession with Candles

I am not writing to let you know that my commissary doesn't carry Dutch-process cocoa and how my plans for brownies are crushed, or that I accidentally bought "Organic Biologique" lettuce, or that I somehow  decided Tostitos and French Onion Dip would go great together. Or how I saw an old man in short shorts. Definitely not going there.

I am writing to tell you about an obsession. Here is my most recent acquisition of said obsession. 

Why hello there, gorgeous . . .