Cover to cover

The junking fairies were totally with my mom and me this weekend during my visit to Rogers. I took lots of pictures of the pretty things I left behind and will unpack the goodies that came home with me after school tomorrow. What a fun and nourishing weekend (both mentally and physically--my parents took Macauley and me out to eat for every meal!). Not long after arriving at camp, I realized I had left my makeup and "get ready" bags on the bathroom counter at home! I don't think of myself as super high-maintenance, but I just couldn't get by without a run to the store for some of the necessities, one of which turned out the be the new issue of Flea Market Style magazine. So good! I've already looked through it more than once and spotted several of the Top 10 featured collectibles while we were out and about.

I found the Flea Market Gardens magazine a couple of days back and it's got me thinking spring (like most people, I guess, just tired of the cold and grey). Is it too premature to start cleaning off my back deck of all the leaves and gunk. to clear off and clean up the hostas I planted out back, to put up my new birdhouses? We've had snow days in March before...

VIF: Cubby Love

There's something about old cubby holders I find irresistible and totally inspiring, and I'm hoping on my shopping adventure in Arkansas with my mom this weekend that I might see a smallish one I could bring home and put on top of the bench in my foyer. I'd fill it with silver and ironstone (no big surprise around here) and other small treasures. I like the idea of small things tucked safely away, of the illusion of organization via the separated compartments, the history that might be attached to a cubby that held sorted mail or tools or general store goods. The above is Pottery Barn, and I like it very much, but there's just something so much better about coming across a true vintage treasure...

Like many I'm also drawn to mix of old wood and galvanized metal. I have a few cubbies already, several in my craft room just right for scrapbook paper and mismatched drawers tucked in holding supplies and odds and ends. But there's plenty of room in my house for more cubby love, I'm thinking...

Happy Vintage Inspiration Friday, Debra! Hope your new booth here in town (on our side of town, no less!) is coming together and doing well for you...

{un}covered

We've been needing new bedding for a while now, and I've been shopping around at all the places I can think of to look here in town but haven't found anything that remotely grabs me. I love this linen bedding from Restoration Hardware, but our big Booker T. sleeps with us and I wonder if I'd see black dog hair all over it all the time. I like the idea of mixing some of these linen pieces, either the duvet or shams or the quilt, in with some more colorful sheets and shams. We've used Ralph Lauren bedding for as long as I can remember and other sheets just never seem as soft, but I do see some sets from Pottery Barn that are pretty.

Tucked right in there with all the bedding listings are these sweet pillows. I like them plain, but you can also have them personalized with up to 24 characters.

Macauley and I are going to visit my parents in Rogers this coming weekend. My mom and I hope to do some flea marketing, but I think I'll also stop in Pottery Barn for a closer look at any of these they carry in the stores. Lots of these are catalog/internet only, most are on sale and many of the sizes are no longer available. Watch me get my heart set on one and then find that the pieces I need are sold out. Any other wonderful bedding sources anyone could suggest? What we have is just looking so shabby, and not in the cute way...

Bucket list

Just creating my wishlist on the off chance I win the giveaway from Timeless Settings over at The Shabby Nest. I can see these buckets filled with hydrangeas (or an ivy or fern I might be able to keep alive) in the middle of my kitchen table with this linen script runner underneath.

The tea towel would remind me of my whirlwind trip through Paris in 2001, just a few weeks before September 11th. My friend Keely and I flew out of the Newark airport, as did one of the fated planes that day, with not an inkling of a thought as to what would happen to our world less than a month later. We met up with 2 other girls and spent 3 days hoofing it around that beautiful city--visiting many of the landmarks stitched including the Moulin Rouge, the Eiffel Tower and Sacre Coure--before heading to London via the Chunnel. I could clip some of our photos up around my house with the adorable little clothespin memo clips...

I do okay keeping my mail and bills corraled, but the job would only be prettier with this caddy, which I could also use near my computer to hold the pretty file folders my friend Janice gave me for Christmas last year. Fingers crossed I win the giveaway, but I think those buckets will be mine regardless...

Attracted

I just can't resist a cute white creamer, especially like this one with the flower with all the crazing and the weathered off white finish, spotted at the thrift store a few weeks ago for 99 cents. The slightly larger pitcher is from one of my favorite dealers with booths at both Relics and STD Central.

I'm loving these sweet bubble magnets I found in the dollar aisle at Michael's this afternoon. They come in sets of 3 for $2. I dug and dug through the bin but could not track down the set containing a 1 and 8. I'll have to check back. They fit in with some magnets I've had for a while from Leola's in Ozark.

I've been reading in magazines and on blogs that color is coming back in both decor and fashion, but I guess I'm still stuck to the black and cream I'm always magnetized to. I found this sweet little cream colored drawer downtown at Indie yesterday while I was out and about with Molly and her friend visiting from St. Louis to tour our alma mater Drury. We had lunch at Farmers Gastropub and walked to a few little shops.

I found this wicker lamp with the burlap shade and bow at STD East a few weeks ago when my mother and I hit the garage sale at the e-plex and then did a little flea marketing. It was cute and pink when I bought it, but I had to give it a coat of black to fit into my craft room. It spurred a total purge and rearrange in that room and I feel so light and inspired now every time I walk in to the cleaned up space.

My friend Amy gave me this awesome book page wreath for Christmas--she has me figured out for sure.

I had no idea the mall would be swamped yesterday when Macauley and I headed there to exchange some shoes of his and to do a little shopping. I found this ruffled black purse and I love that it fits across like a messenger bag. I picked up some comfy, light cardigans with big pockets on clearance as well as some ruffly peasant type tops. The weather has been so nice the last few days--lots of us braved showing arms and bits of legs and toes that haven't seen the light of day for a while.

I tried on a pair of these wedges by Toms and felt like I could shop or teach or jog all day in them. Too big though, so I'm eyeing a pair of size 5s on their website. They're a little pricey, but someone in need gets a pair of shoes every time you buy one, so I think it would be money well-spent. These have me thinking summertime and no school, jean shorts and tank tops, but I have a feeling winter still has some rough days in store for us here in Missouri before it's all said and done. At least we're out of school tomorrow for Presidents Day, with a forecast that will likely draw me out in search of other black and cream goods. Or at least a yummy lunch with my sister.

Window shopping

Just read about the giveaway being offered at My Sweet Savannah for this very cool three-tiered wire basket from My Sparrow. I should be asleep right now, I suppose, but a week's worth of snow days and no early morning schoolteacher wakeup has me wide-eyed and looking for inspiration. I've spent the last few days cleaning and organizing my craft room/office, and I'd say with all the items I've stacked to donate or sell in my booth, there'd be plenty of room around here for any and all of these other lovely things I found on the website...

This wire shelf might be just what I need for the narrow spot in my kitchen where I have a white bakers rack that is really cute but not so functional. I could see this stacked with linens and ironstone and spooners of tarnished silverware...it might be my favorite thing, with the bakers bins a close second.

And since the 2 burlap pillows pictured on the site just happen to be emblazoned with my initials, I'd say it's meant to be that I win the giveaway...

A fit of flakes

My in-laws' little Honda Fit, buried in the blizzard in Bolivar, Mo...

We were warned...

Most everyone around here is talking about the first "Blizzard Warning" anyone remembers, and we woke to find it in full swing late this morning. So far it's just too pretty to seem like a blizzard, but the snow is falling fast and these paw prints have already been filled over in the 15 minutes since I snapped them. We are, of course, home from school and I'm thinking it may be a couple of days before we're back. Whatever will I do to fill the luxurious span of time in my warm and cozy house?