crumbling roses etc.

i finally cleaned out a display cabinet that had been untouched for years, unfortunately. lots of dust. but anyway - i pulled out my crumbling rose wedding bouquet and took some photos - it is falling apart now and will be discarded soon. i loved the simplicity of this bouquet - just pale, pale roses and minimal greens.

and a simple corsage from the groom's dinner

the dusty bouquet of roses i received after the birth of my last son, 7 plus years ago...

did i already post this? i just love the old pink trunk these portraits sit on...

and the slightly funky floor lamp with pretty pink crystals that i bought at tj maxx several years ago.

pretty lady with shawl

i was struck with the wonderful colors in this picture. her shawl and the background are so pretty. i don't know if this thrift store purchase was a deal or not - i think i remember that it cost more than i usually spend (like $10 to $12?). but i like it and if i don't find a place for it, it will go on the garage sale this spring.

home again

i had posted these photos of a little old plastic and lace lampshade to publish while i was out of town - but it didn't work? so here it is - i really like it (from the thrift store) - and i wonder about when this type of shade was made...i am no expert on "old things" for sure! both the pink shade and white "crown" are molded plastic.

chippy rose candle holder

i found this for a dollar at a garage sale several years ago...a favorite. made in italy;)


for some reason, i feel compelled to say that i don't think everything in life is pretty or pink or shabby and wonderful, even though my blog posts here are mostly "light". it's just that i have a private blog for the deep stuff, the hard moments, the private battles that we all face. there - i feel better for getting that out.

beautiful winged things

i have grown to love owls and birds...in images, that is. i can't say i would want a live one around. i read a fascinating book about an owl who formed a lifelong (19 years!) bond with a scientist. an excerpt from a review:

"Owls permeate literature and mythology, an ancient animal ("some 97 million years" old) that has fascinated for centuries; still, few people have had as intimate an encounter with the mysterious night birds as biologist O'Brien. As a student researcher at Caltech, she fell in love with an injured four-day-old barn owl and seized the opportunity to adopt him permanently. She named him Wesley, and for 19 years kept, cared for and studied him, forging a tremendous relationship with the still-wild animal, as well as a vast understanding of his abilities, instincts and habits: "He was my teacher, my companion, my child, my playmate, my reminder of God." Her heartwarming story is buttressed by lessons on owl folklore, temperament ("playful and inquisitive"), skills, and the brain structure that gives them some amazing abilities, like spotting a mouse "under three feet of snow by homing in on just the heartbeat."


so i just wanted to share some photos of my favorite little winged "thrift store" companions.

(an ornament from my sister this past christmas)

an old avon bottle.

vintage patina "under construction"

please excuse this technophobe as i try to beautify this blog:)

pure.

made for the mcclenahans with the most heartfelt sympathy.

sorting thrift store treasure:)

i spent some time sorting the thrifty things i have found over the past months...it is so enjoyable to see what you can gather for a few dollars (sometimes a bit more). i also added a photo to my "owoh" giveaway post from january, so that people can see what kind of things they might expect - and i have decided to do more than 1 giveaway due to so many visits and comments. it has been a lot of fun to visit the others' blogs - and i have only scratched the surface: i think there ultimately were ~900 participants!

thrilled

we just received our portraits from the boys' session in september today...i am so pleased! i am especially thankful we had these taken when we did - there has been a lot of change in both of them since last fall. and i wanted to capture them while there was still some "little boy" left in both of them...it goes far too fast.

pure therapy

this l.o. is the first i have ever done "on the spot". i just had to sit down and do it right away, because the feelings and thoughts were so real...and i know the light is too orangey...and i should have waited for daylight...and these aren't the best photos. but it's ok. i feel better now. and i used my first kenner road kit. i recently subbed there because i love the kits and the designers' styles and it has a vintage flair.

of piglet and pink...

{self explanatory}

my prized pink trunk and the photos of my husband (left) and oldest son...taken 32 years apart:)