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I was 8 when my mom was pregnant with my brother and bought him this antique dresser. I promptly informed her that a baby would not be able to appreciate this fine dresser and claimed it as my own.
My love affair with antiques actually began long before age 8, when I would wander through my grandparent’s house, trying to commit its entire contents to my memory.
However, this did mark the start of my claiming my mother’s things as my own, and she was helpless to stop it. She’s even more helpless to stop Ellis from “shopping” in her fridge, laughing as Ellis pulls out leftovers and dropping it into a bag and saying in her sing-song voice, We need this. Aaaand we need this. Aaaand we need this.
I love this dresser as much today as I did at age 8. It held my first pair of white Guess jeans with the little zippers up the back. My bff Jerusalem and I used it to mix a batch of chocolate chip cookies late one night because we didn’t want to wake up my family by using the kitchen.
The marks of a penny, a hairclip, and a scissors are burned into the surface from carelessly leaving them underneath whatever decorative cloth I had draped over its top.
And now the dresser is in Ellis’ room, and even though I tell myself it’s still my dresser, I am totally prepared for the day when she claims it as her own. I will outwardly protest and tell her that just because it’s in her room, that does not make it hers. And on the inside, I’ll be thinking, this is just how it should be.
I wonder what sort of memories Ellis will have of her dresser 25 years from now, what fashions it will hold, what marks will be left behind.
She may not remember how she used to “lock” her dresser pulls by flipping them up (to keep the cat out, of course), but I will. 
Fluffy butter-cream towels. I splurged on these towels when we bought our house. At the time, I didn’t know exactly what color I’d be painting the bathroom (as long as it was not the dark teal-green paint that was on the walls with the maroon floral wallpaper ON THE CEILING) but I did know I wanted butter-cream towels. 
The rest of my bathroom is accented with bits of green (see yesterday’s post) and more butter-cream yellow. This vintage napkin came in a set which I purchased at the Shoppes at Woodlawn last summer in Little Rock. They were so dainty, I couldn’t resist. 
And this…I’m not exactly sure what it is or what it’s intended purpose is except that I like it and that’s all that matters. I’m sure it’s a towel of sorts, but it’s way to pretty to actually use. You can’t much tell from the photo, but it’s also a lovely shade of butter-cream yellow, and the flowers are embroidered in brown. I purchased this in Little Rock last summer, as well. 
The little dish, resembling a gravy boat, I found at an antique store in Seaside, Oregon. Adam & I spent a few days there summer before last and it was my favorite part of our 2+ week vacation. That trip, he was such a trooper, following me from antique store to antique store and never once complaining.
I received several of these vintage botanical prints from my step-dad. He got them from a family friend’s house he was helping to clean out after they passed away. I have them scattered around the house on various shelves. At one point, I had them hung on the wall, but because they’re so small, it just didn’t work. They seem to lend themselves as background-art on a shelf, though.
I don’t know what prompted me to search for vintage trays, but one day I did, and oh, man. This was the first of about 5 that I have, and is probably my favorite. I had to stop looking at them on e-bay because I kept finding more that I HAD to have, and certainly did not need. E-bay is dangerous. I find it best to just stay clear unless I’m looking for something very specific. At any rate, this one is on the side table next to my chair in the living room. It works well to keep a drink from toppling over because the wicker is not really conducive to that. This piece of furniture used to be fairly useless at keeping anything upright but was turned into an extremely functional side table by adding a tray. 
Thanks for stopping by!
Well, I certainly don’t have the same knack for color & composition as Miss Jerusalem, but here is my blue & green contribution to her week of color ~ a few of my favorite things….
At long last, my new coffee table. No, it’s not round; I gave up on that search. This one did fit in perfectly with the overall look I’ve been transitioning into for the last few years, though ~ cottage, colorful, and comfortable. It was on sale in Pottery Barn, and I doubt I would have bought it had it been full price.
I purchased this darling little bathtub-soapdish from Anthropology when we bought our house. A sweet deal for $10, if I do say so myself. At one point, it used to have soap in it, but because I have a thing against bar soap (hate to use it, love pretty bars in pretty wrapping as decoration….except they get dusty & are impossible to clean, which I also hate), it is now used to hold earings & clips & things.
A couple more of my favorite bathroom items: the green tumbler I bought from See Jane Work a few years back. It came with a little dish, as well, and I think I spent about $16 for the set. And $16 for the set I also purchased in white. Really glad I bought both as they are no longer available. The hand soap was a Christmas gift from my mom. Not only does it alleviate my bar-soap issue, but the bottle is really lovely to look at. And it smells good. Fresh and not a bit overpowering. With as much time that is spent in the bathroom, I think it only fitting that it be filled with pretty things.
An assortment of my favorite green dishes. They have all come from my mom, the miniature planters (candles) from Tanya, the antique apothocary bottles from a day-trip to Tenakee Springs Honey & I took a few summers ago, and the tiny white pitcher from the Habitat for Humanity store (50 cents) last summer in Little Rock.
I have always loved daisies. There is even a photo of me at about age 4 with my face painted in daisies at the State Fair. I bought this blue hand-towel, far too pretty to actually use, in Leavenworth, Washington summer before last. Honey & I spent a little over 2 weeks traveling around Oregon & Washington (we put a lot of mileage on the rental car), and his mom & step-dad thought I would enjoy Leavenworth. I did indeed ~ besides the fact that it was August & about 112 degrees, it was a charming little town with Christmas stores open all year round, and I had a great time with my in-laws.
This “G” is one of the few items Honey brought into the relationship that has had a place of prominance in our home. He remembers it being in his house since he was in kindegarden, and isn’t sure where it came from before that. It was previously painted black, but I of course had to add my cottage-blue flare. It sat in the garage for several months awaiting a second coat, which never happened. I think I had run out of paint. Some of the blue wore off showing the black underneath, but despite its imperfections (or maybe because of them) I decided it needed to be rehung. It is truly one of my favorite things, even before I took Honey’s last name. Because it’s special to him, it’s special to me.
While I was treasure-hunting for colors last night, I took this photo of my Tiffany boxes. As Jerusalem said in her post, there are few colors finer than Tiffany & robin’s egg blue, and I couldn’t agree more. I doubt I’d have the same affinity for a lovely blue Tiffany box if I weren’t so in love with Audrey & Breakfast at Tiffany’s, though.
This picture frame, a wedding gift from Adam’s cousin Sue, has more or less been the inspiration for what is now my decorating style. The frames are handcrafted from pieces of 150 year old cypress plantation buildings, and you can find them here. I loved the frame so much, I hung it on the wall sans photo until I found just the right photo worthy of being placed inside.
As you can see, I kinda like blues & greens…
Pink has never been a prevelant color in my home, but now that we’re having the baby-girl, it seems to be showing up a bit more 
Below are a few of my favorite pink items, some old, some new.
Too cute pink shoes from my mom. I think she’s been enjoying shopping for her granddaughter ~ what do you think?
This gorgeous bib, handmade by the fabulous Manda at Treefall, couldn’t be more perfect. I’ve been coveting one of Manda’s bibs since I first saw them but was holding off purchasing one until we knew the sex of the baby. Then I found out, if you wait long enough, and you have a mother who knows you love Manda’s creations, she will buy one for you Thanks mom!
These dried rosebuds were given to me by my friend Nicole as a completely random just-saw-them-and-thought-of-you gifts. Aren’t those the best kind of gifts? The rosebuds used to hang in my walk-in closet in our old apartment, but they now add a perfect, delicate touch to my bathroom. I’ve had them for years, and never grow tired of looking at them.
Who doesn’t love beautiful teacups? The first one mom bought for me for my bridal shower, which had a garden-tea-party theme. The second teacup I’ve had for years & years, and I’m sad to say, I can’t remember where it came from. The third teacup, not quite visible in the photo, was from my sister-in-law Michelle (assuming she & by brother ever set a wedding date!). She bought if for me after Adam & I had gotten into a huge fight a few years back, and knew I was extremely distrought over this particular argument. She dropped the teacup off for me, just because. It’s wonderful to have such sweet & thoughtful people in my life.
Pretty in pink! Some might say I have a magazine addiction. “Some”, being my husband. He also says I have a fruit addiction. (out of a $65 grocery bill, about $50 of that was fruit. seriously) Anyhoo, I loved all the February magazines, as I’m sure you did, too. I actually haven’t read the Country Living yet, but if it’s as good as last month’s which featured bits on Russell & Hazel (love, love, love R & H), See Jane Work (love them even more than R & H), and Amy Butler (who doesn’t love Amy Butler?), I’m in for a treat.
Not gonna lie ~ we had a bit of snow last weekend. And because we love him so much, we bought Porter a new car ~ a Ford Escape. It was our intention to buy a new vehicle before the baby was born, one that we could put Porter in the way-back & he wouldn’t step on the baby. It was our intention to shop around a bit, do some test drives, do some research on-line, and be ready to negotiate like pros. It was not our intention to test drive one vehicle, hang out in the car dealership for 2 1/2 hours, and drive home with a new car. But that’s what happens when you spend 2 1/2 hours in a car 
dealership while they “run some numbers”, and check with their boss because we were “lucky” enough to get the guy so new, he didn’t even have business cards printed, and then they run some more numbers.
dealership while they “run some numbers”, and check with their boss because we were “lucky” enough to get the guy so new, he didn’t even have business cards printed, and then they run some more numbers. They get you. And I didn’t even get to drive my Jetta one last time.
But, the car is growing on me, and in my heart, I know it was the right choice for our growing family.
He really does love me! Honey went on-line to buy a gate for the back of the new car so Porter wouldn’t be tempted to hop over the back seats, and don’t think he wouldn’t try. Honey also bought me 2 new books! I asked if they were from my Amazon wish list, and he said that no, no, they were from his recommendations. Since he only buys things for me on Amazon & never anything for himself, Amazon is of the impression that he’s gay. And I don’t mean to offend gays, I just think it’s funny that Amazon recommends things like decorating books and chic-flicks. Tell me that’s not funny! And I love these books. I want to crawl inside and live in the pages of these books. Thank you, Honey ~ I love you!
Last night I dragged Honey to see P.S. I Love You, and I absolutely loved it. Honey, of course, thought it sucked. He’s not one for chic flicks, although he did say that once we own it and he’s seen it 4 times, maybe he’ll grow to like it. At least that’s something!
I must have cried about 8 different times during this movie, and I know I wasn’t alone because I could hear sniffling coming from all sides. I’m sorry, but if you are in a relationship, or more specifically, are married to the love of your life, and you don’t cry during this movie, you’re just dead inside.
This movie made me really think about my marriage, and how it doesn’t occur to me that it could be cut short. I married Honey with the belief that we will grow old together, and I never once considered the possibility that he could die young. If I allowed myself to think about such things, I probably never would have married him because the thought of losing him would hurt way too much.
P.S. brought up a whole mess of emotions that I never even knew existed. I could empathize with Hilary Swank’s character more than any other character I’ve watched in years. I could feel in my heart what it would feel like to be a widow at age 30, and it sucked. When you marry the man you love, that’s not supposed to happen, you know? How do you ever get over that? How do you get out of bed in the morning? Go to work? Move on? Smile? Allow yourself to fall in love again? I just can’t imagine how I’d ever get over losing Honey.
So, go watch this movie. Cry, laugh, give your husband a big hug, and treat your marriage as if every day could be its last.
Yesterday I was quite convinced I was coming down with a cold. My sinuses were bothering me more than usual, I felt like my throat was closing up, and I felt light-headed. This morning, thankfully, I am feeling better. Still having sinus troubles, but no more so than every day the past 2 months. I refuse to be sick for Christmas!
I have been hearing commercials on the radio that on Friday, Santa will be making the rounds through the main streets of downtown, and up into the residential neighborhoods ~ on a fire engine! It reminded me of when Adam & I lived downtown and we witnessed this for ourselves. We stood outside on the sidewalk, and couldn’t help but smile at the sounds of all the children screaming SANTA! SANTA! SANTA! SANTA’S COMING! IT’S SANTAAAAA!! A total explosion of enthusiasm. Truly priceless, and I’d forgotten all about it until yesterday.
I’m nearly done with my holiday shopping, but still have a few things to purchase, and a few things that should be arriving this week via Mr. UPS. I was so far ahead of the game the last week of November/first week of December, and then I don’t know what happened. I am waiting to wrap presents until Monday, which I just found out I have off. Yippee! I plan on watching all the Christmas movies I have yet to watch, and have myself a little wrapping party.
I recently bought a tag-maker kit (made by Making Memories) for about $17, normally priced at $46. I couldn’t exactly pass that up, now could I? No, I didn’t think so. I made all the tags for the gifts mailed to my in-laws, and while it takes a bit more time than using the pre-made gift tags one can buy in pack that will last about 7 years, it definitely personalized our gifts. I like to be known for my handmade things, even if the recipient didn’t know they were handmade.
Besides holiday gifts, I’m finding all sorts of uses for my tag-maker, and plan on tagging the hell out of all my baskets that hold my crafting supplies.
Speaking of handmade things, here is the holiday card that I sent out this year. Between my family, Adam’s family, and the handful of friends that I send cards to, I send out about 60 each year. This particular card was a multi-step process that took several evenings to finish. But, it’s probably my favorite Christmas card I’ve made yet, so it was worth it. You probably can’t see it, but the red & white paper have little gold flecks in them, which I just love.
I had fully intended on making loads of extra cards so I could list them on my shoppe, but I drastically underestimated the time it would take to make them. I did take 3 sets of 5 cards to The Creating Place to consign, and as of last week, one pack had sold. Maybe the last-minute-shoppers will snatch up the other 2 packs…and maybe next year I’ll start making them in June so I actually have some to list. Oh, wait, I’ll have a newborn then ~ who am I kidding?!
This week I received a very special package from the very special Manda. It was my first overseas package, and I probably stared at the envelope & its par avion royal mail stamps for a good five minutes before actually opening it. Honey even commented that I was just as intrigued by the packaging than its contents. He really does know me so well.
I wish I could show you what was inside the package, but I can’t. I received two items; one for myself and one for my mom, so if I show & tell, it will spoil the surprise. Upon receipt of my _________, I instantly felt as if I were now a part of a very special club: those who know & appreciate Manda McGrory and the wonderful things she creates. Really, I can’t say enough about her & how much I love her designs. She says she never uses a pattern, which is further proof of her creativity. Her color combinations are too pretty for words ~ oh, to have access to her fabric collection!
Okay, so don’t judge me or think I’m totally weird, but I will forever associate the holidays with soap operas. That right, I said, soap operas. I think the reason being is because when I was on Christmas break in high school, I often spent my afternoons watching All my Children, One Life to Live, and General Hospital. For many many years, we didn’t have cable, and when you don’t have cable, you get one fuzzy channel that is a combination of ABC and NBC. This meant that the only shows available to me were the soaps. The soaps were filled with pretty people, with perfect hair and perfect makeup, and they were always going to a holiday ball. And I (foolishly) wished I could be like them, with a perfectly scripted life. Now I know better, although I do sometimes wish I came with a script.
Throughout this post, I have included photos of some of my favorite Christmas ornaments. (I could do a separate post on just my ornaments, but I really don’t see that happening between now & Tuesday). My mom has purchased my brother & I an ornament every year since birth, although she says we’re too old now & has cut us off. I will speak on behalf of Bucky & I and say that while we may understand her sentiment, we most certainly do not think we are too old to receive our annual ornament from mom. Just throwing that out there, mom….:)
I usually purchase an ornament each year for Adam & I; something to symbolize our past year together. Last year was this house ornament because we bought our first house (insert “duh” here). And that reminds me, I haven’t bought our ornament for this year. Nothing terribly eventful has happened except for that I left my hellish, stress & anxiety inducing job for a one where I’m not treated like crap on a daily basis, and that I got knocked up. But since the baby won’t be born until next year, it doesn’t seem right to mark that event in this year. Do they make ornaments in the shape of a tiny little pregnancy test??
Happy Holidays, everyone! May all of your holiday wishes come true.
Hello, my dear internet friends. Honey googled me one day & finally found my blog. He reminded me that I haven’t written since the 4th of October. He also said good job for not trashing him on the internet, and that in the future when I’m pissed at him, I should read my blog since I portray him in such good light. Indeed, Honey has been a prince during these last 2 months of hormone hell. At any rate, not only have I not written for at least a month, but I haven’t even been reading about what all you fabulous people have been up to. I’m sure you’ve been creating your hearts out, have been preparing for the holiday season, and have dressed your kids up as various animals and cartoon characters. I’m sure one day soon, once I’ve closed a few loops (that was for Jerusalem’s benefit), I’ll sit & read for hours & smile at your lovely lives.
Anyway, catching up starting backwards, today we had our first snowfall of the sesaon. Normally, the first snowfall is mixed rain & snow, and lasts a very short while. But today it snowed all day, accumulating about 4 inches at our house. Doodles was pleased.
I also got my first issue of Victoria ~ horray! Well, not my first issue, of course, but you know what I mean. AND, Honey got his drivers license today! Yes, my 26 year old husband finally is licensed to drive. After moving here from California in 1999, he lived downtown & worked downtown. We have the same work schedule, so when we bought our house in the “valley”, we drove into town together. And even though we don’t talk much during our 15-20 minute commute (ha!), other than the occasional commentary on an NPR news tidbit, I really love that we have that time together. Anyway, Honey still maintains he does not want his license & that he only got it because I got pregnant & he had to. I don’t care ~ he got his license, and you have no idea how big of a milestone this is in our lives. There are countless people who have hounded him on my behalf for years, and even though he says he’s not happy he got his license, he was thinking of who he should call to tell. How cute is that?!
Weekend before last, I went to Seattle for a few days to see my girl Tanya. I was in such a bad state of mind that she & my sweet mama bought me a plane ticket to get the hell out of here & escape my life for a few days. Tanya & I stayed in a fancy hotel downtown, I got my haircut which I unforunately hate, I bought maternity clothes courtesy of my Aunt Georgia, ate orange beef at my most favorite Seattle restaurant, Shanghai Garden, had a really nice visit with Aunt Georgia, my cousin Tony, his wife Lisa & their precious little baby Lucas, and went to a spa. If you find yourself in Seattle, I highly recommend a day at Ummelina’s. The smells alone are worth it. Mmmm, lavender….
We got manicures & massages, and while we waited for our treatments, we got a foot soak. The manicure was like a massage in itself. I was lying down, & before actually doing my nails, she massaged my arms & hands. I slipped into a relaxed state of being that rarely happens. Even my massage, as lovely as it was, wasn’t as relaxing as my manicure.
I’m now at about 13 weeks, 14 weeks if you go by my date of conception & not by the ultrasound measurements. This photo is at 11 (12) weeks. I’ve been taking self-portraits, so I’m a little twisted. My belly has grown considerably, especially after a big dinner. It actually looks small to me in this photo. I still fight the urge to suck it in, but mostly I’m like, why bother? I had been squishing myself into jeans that I could barely squish myself into, fastening them closed with a rubberband. Honey would say to me, ummm, your zipper’s down. I would respond with MY ZIPPER DOESN’T GO UP ANY FARTHER! It felt really comfortable to finally have some maternity jeans & let it all hang out.
More importantly, my hormones have finally leveled out. And can I just say, THANK GOD. The past two months I’ve been in the worst kind of hell. I was so completely miserable and I honestly didn’t think I would survive my pregnancy. I have decided that if I’m on anti-anxiety/depression meds again, and if we ever get pregnant again, I cannot go off them until the 2nd trimester. I am not equipped to handle the hormonal changes, and it’s not fair to Honey to put him through that again, either. The weird thing is, even though this was all in the very recent past, it’s hard to remember just how badly I felt. And there really aren’t words, anyway. I’m thankful now that I can start to enjoy my pregnancy, whereas as recently as 3 weeks ago, it was merely something that was destroying my life & my sanity. At the time, the only positive I could think of was that I had cleavage for the first time in my life. It pained me that I was so unhappy about what was supposed to be the most beautiful thing I’d ever experience. And even worse, there was a teensy part of me that didn’t want to be pregnant & knowing that if I did miscarry, I’d never have the strength to do this again. Intellectually, I knew I was incredibly lucky to be pregnant, especially when there are so many women who are desperate for a child & can’t conceive. I would see a husband & wife with a baby & I’d know I wanted that, & that’s what got me through the craziness. That and my amazing husband, family & friends. Now, I know I’ll be okay.
My other huge news is that I finally quit my job! I had interviewed with, and subsequently received a job offer from a CPA firm & started work November 1st. While my anxiety hasn’t completely subsided, it’s really nice to go to work & know that I will be treated with respect. My previous boss was so demotivating that my work had begun to suffer for it, which wasn’t fair to myself or to my boss. I don’t believe I performed badly on purpose; I still did good work, just not great work & I was certainly not working to my full potential. I had long since given up trying to make any changes for the better. It was a big job for one person, and truthfully, a lot for me to keep track of & to keep on top of everything all the time. It didn’t help that my boss would want to change things around, requiring me to re-do 9 months of inventory adjustments. With that kind of mentality, I know I should have quit a long time ago, but fear of working somewhere even worse (and the fact that I was well-paid) kept me there for far too long. But, I’m gone now & I can’t help but wonder what the hell took me so long.
Well, we did indeed have a bear in our neighborhood….can you see her? I didn’t crop or zoom because I wanted you to see just how close this little cutie was. I was across the street, and the bear was at the end of the very short cul-de-sac. All in all, pretty damn close. This time of year they lurk around neighborhoods in search of food, and have even been known to come inside of apartment buildings & homes. Bet you’re not used to hearing that on your morning news!
Lastly, I leave you with some photos of beautiful Juneau & the Mendenhall Glacier. This, this beauty is the reason why I continue to live here, where we get 180 inches of rain a year.
Doodles gets so freakin’ happy when we take him to the Glacier, he can hardly contain himself. I swear, as he’s running around the lake & through the shrubbery, he gets a look on his face that can only say ~ They really do love me! Oddly, that dog will avoid a muddle **edited ** MUD PUDDLE! like the plague, but give him a glacial lake, and he’s all over it.
I don’t much have the energy to write about everything I want to write about, so here’s some photos instead. And PS, is anyone else’s blogger behaving oddly? Links show up as code, as do photos. Weird.
Harvest banner from Miss Jerusalem
Lovely sign made by Miss Jeanetta. My Aunt Georgia framed the tiny quilt for me. She’s really good at giving me family items that she knows I’ll love.
View from my comfy chair tonight.
Brought out my favorite fall candles, a wedding gift from Michelle & her family.
Riley-Cat & Mendy staying warm. This was actually the first time I’ve seen them both laying on the cable box. Mendy is named after the Mendenhall Glacier, where Honey is a guide on the weekends.
And there you have it. Some of my favorite things.
Despite my previous fears, I am surviving the Arkansas heat. All 98 degrees of it. I have been having the best time with Jerusalem and her sweet hubby Nathan, and I so wish we lived closer to one another. Even though we haven’t seen each other since they came up for my wedding in 2003, it’s as if not a day has passed. Funny how knowing someone for 20 years will do that! We’ve had talks on just about every conceivable topic, and her youngest son Miles told me he loved me yesterday. My heart melted & my uterus started twitching. It’s really amazing to me how kids can be so open with their hearts.
I’ve also been in heaven with the sheer abundance of flea markets & antique stores, 2 things which are sorely lacking in Juneau. We have no flea markets, and we have one over-priced antique store. I’ve picked up some really great things ~ vintage European shams, blue ticking, hankies, tea towels, salt & pepper shakers, valentines, Pfaltzgraff bowls, a wall pocket for mom, a cigar box for my brother….
I had to have this lovely sign, hand painted by the fabulous Jeanetta.
Today we hit some craft/home decorating stores, & I got this metal “kitchen” sign, a cookbook holder (something I REALLY did need), candle holders (because you can never have too many), and yes, MORE fabric.
This little gem I found hiding on the very top shelf at Hobby Lobby, and for $3.99, how could I not buy it?? Adding stitching to my paper crafts was something I had been interested in doing, but the thought of lugging out my sewing machine for a teensy bit of stitching wasn’t very appealing. Enter this mini, battery operated sewing machine! Just think of the possibilities! Jerusalem got one, too ~ I love having a partner in crime!! She has already given it a test run & gives it a thumbs-up. Honey of course couldn’t understand why I needed a mini sewing machine and even its low, low price couldn’t convince him. Go figure. You ladies understand the importance of such a nifty crafting tool, right?
