thrifting mission: accomplished!

a friend asked me to try to find her a wall mounted rotary phone for her kitchen...it took a little over a month & 5 bucks but I found one - and she likes it, yay!!!

recently thrifted

autumn leaf

one of the things that always reminds me of home is the china pattern autumn leaf, by the hall co. it's our "good china" and always displayed in the corner shelf of the dining room. my mom bought it piece by piece from a jewel tea traveling salesman...


right after I got back to wichita after being home I went to an estate sale & what should I find but this cake carrier covered in the very familar pattern:


I about cried with homesickness right then & there!

I like to buy my mom pieces she's missing but they tend to be so pricey - the carrier was pretty banged up though so the price was low & I'd never seen one before so I got it for her. although I haven't mailed it off yet. I want that little piece of home with me a bit longer...

{have a lovely weekend!}

p.s. thank you for all the stories about your hometowns on my last post - I am having so much fun reading them :)

thursday = embroidery {& a giveaway!}

I haven't done a giveaway in quite awhile so I thought a nice way to incorporate that into my posts of late about going home to visit my family would be putting one of my embroidered home sweet home paint by number hoops up for grabs:


just leave a comment here & I'll announce the winner next wed. {sept. 1st}. it's not a requirement to enter but I'd love to hear a little something about your hometown in your comment :)

moving on...this week's vintage embroidery subject is a book I picked up at the thrift store:


{mulhouse france - 1955}

***please note - I have removed the images I posted from this book due to possible french copyright issues. sorry, but I'm sure you understand.

vacation thrifting

one afternoon while I was back home I went out thrifting with my nephew. I didn't find much, which was good since this year I wanted to keep it limited to things that would fit in my suitcase...last year I had to mail myself a couple boxes & put a chair in storage in my sister's basement! so this time I only went thrifting the one time & luckily the biggest thing I found easily fit in my suitcase:


I also brought back this horseshoe which I didn't actually thrift so much as take with permission out of my mom's garage:


because who can't use a little more luck in their life?

the erie county fair

phil's accordion

the very first accordion I ever heard or saw was most likely my brother-in-law's. I remember he'd play it now & then when I was little...and that my sister taught me how to polka so we could dance along.

I had no memory of what the accordion looked like though so when I was home my sister got it out for me...it was all I could do not to steal her away, she's a beauty:






I wonder if early exposure to glitzy accordions makes girls prefer them later in life? just a thought. anyhow, it's no tico tico polka {my sister's favorite song he played} but here's the latest tune I learned:



{I'm laughing at the beginning because the cat was meowing again although I don't think you can hear her}

vacation crafting

while visiting home I spent a lovely afternoon with my niece making jewelry. she made beaded earrings while I, having been inspired by these two posts, made a little necklace by wrapping a square piece of wood with some very fine yarn my mom had:


{have a wonderful weekend!}

thursday = embroidery

while on vacation I did fit in some custom order stitching:


and the weekly vintage embroidery transfer is back...this week's pattern is in honor of a special little boy's train themed birthday party I will be attending on sunday:

all aboard & happy stitching!

the palace

while home a bunch of us went to the movies at the wonderful old theater I've gone to since I was a little girl:






I'm so glad the people who own this theater take such good care of it & that so many people continue to enjoy it. I didn't realize growing up how lucky I was to have such a jewel in my own backyard...

the corn fest: day to night

back

from my annual summer visit to spend time with my family back in our little hometown, which means I....

flew on several planes:


was surrounded by corn fields:


saw my mom's beautiful & big as your head hydrangea:


thrifted & found some treasures:


was reminded of a happy childhood playing in creeks & walking on tracks:


met bailey, my sister's new puppy:


ate way too much fried dough at the corn festival:


but managed to recover & also go to the erie county fair:


it was wonderful! more photos to come...