Life Lately

 Well this week has been a doozy for us on Elm Street!

A week ago in a cozy used bookstore surrounded by cats Mr. Acorns & I made it official! It was a wonderful surprise he planned. From taking the day off from work, to the secretly packed suitcase, to the overnight away to frolic in a winter wonderland, it was perfect.

Work (boring day job work) has been crazy busy. At first it had me anxiously pulling my hair out, worrying about all the things I should be doing for the shop.

But in the end, this warehouse gig is something I can’t quit & there are only so many hours in a day, so when life gives you lemons…

The practical side of me realizes this vintage load has gotten out of control. I have hoarded myself into, not one, but several cozy mountains of decades old clothes. But I hate neglecting all that this vintage loving business encompasses.

So, I’m taking some time off from the blog to start climbing these mountains, but you can still find me on Facebook and Instagram. 

Wishing all you Lovelies the happiest of holidays! I'll see you in the New Year!

Cleaning House

Grandma was a hoarder, Mum was a thrower-outer, I was the kid who hides "treasures" under her bed. 

My mum didn't like to have "stuff" around. She grew up in Grandmas house, which at best was a well packed away museum.

Unlike my mother, I'm the sort of person who feels comfortable with things around & I have a pretty steady collection of antiques to prove it.

Finding things hidden in the closets of my little apartment is great fun...but to smile & say "Oh! " then put it back...seems stupid.

These are all from my own home 

& will be in the shop starting tomorrow

Providing I don't chicken out on parting with any of these... 

What have you parted with? 

Did you regret selling it or were you happy just having it in the first place?

"Christmas List 2013; I am having a brain fart"

He leaves little notes around the house for me to find. When I laugh at the funnystrangehonest things he writes, he still seems surprised...even after 8 years of it.

I couldn't decide between #7 and Note #2

That One Book

I don't know how you stand with Pooh, but to me he's the greatest.

 I'm not talking about the bright yellow guy sporting the red shirt that Disney adapted, but he's adorable too. I'm talking about the naked bear that hangs out with the little kid decked out in monstrously cute 20's outfits. 

Any book that starts with a map is bound to be an epic adventure!

My mother used to read this to my brother & me, & when I moved out, she gave the book to me.

Now, I've kept up the tradition by reading to Mr. Acorns & the fur babies as we go to sleep, and every time I end up waking him up by laughing. 

Seriously. 

And, Bonus!, playing Poohsticks is pretty fun.

"Now one day Pooh and Piglet and Rabbit and Roo were all playing Poohsticks together. They had dropped their sticks in when Rabbit said "Go!" and then they had hurried across to the other side of the bridge, and now they were all leaning over the edge, waiting to see whose stick would come out first. But it was a long time coming, because the river was very lazy that day, and hardly seemed to mind if it didn't ever get there at all."

What was your favorite book as a kid? Do you still read it?

Mystery Initials

Love finding bits of history that are personalized!

Thrifted Thursday... The Portrait

The best part about going out hunting is the anticipation of finding something great. Even if you've been on a dud roll, this thrill keeps you digging until long after your hands feel grimy & you'd nearly give anything for a drop of Purell. 

Then it happens. The Holy Grail with an affordable price tag!

She sits on the mantle, and although now she seems like part of the family, there were many times when I'd look up at her & my mind would just reel at who this calm looking woman was. A friend or a lover? A widow or a mother? Maybe all

I guess even if I had some knowledge of her life, I'd never really know who she was. Which really is an extraordinarily great feeling selling vintage or antiques. It's both humbling and reassuring.

I looked up both the school & the names but came up with nothing.

And since the first woman started teaching there in 1878 & women had been taking classes here decades before that, the painting could've been done by either a man or a woman. 

But the final "this is meant to be!" moment came when I noticed the date 

APR 20, 1938

just happens to be my birthday (a few decades off!) 

What is your "Holy Grail" find?

Season's End

Where Toy Train Parts & Sewing Books Combine

For any of you that follow my Instagram, this may look sorta familiar to you, I found another one. 

Last Saturday, while rummaging through the dollar box, I found this model train transformer. Simple black & cream with a neat art deco font.

It weighs a ton & has sharp edges that easily tear through bags to smash unsuspecting toes. The two of us did that dance four times before I learned my lesson.

After the final pain rage subsided, I thought "Why in the world...?!" 

Then the vintage sewing books started to act drunk & all fall down. 

Problem solved! 

***

I was pretty terrified to "upcycle" but it turned out well...how about you? 

Have you had good luck with repurposing?

Wordless Wednesday...Freckles in a Raincoat

Thrifted Thursday ...

Today may be Halloween for some of you, but for these two Acorns that live on Elms, this Thrifted Thursday means the 8th anniversary of "us"! 

There was a bonfire, spiked apple cider, and good friends to tell (not so) spooky stories. It was the perfect Halloween.

Now, those 8 years have gone by in a strange way that seems to have both taken forever & flown by...

For this Thrifted Thursday I thought I'd show you my favorite piece of jewelry; a cameo that my sweet guy surprised me with.

At the time we found it, we were broke, like spaghetti every meal broke, & Even though it broke my heart to walk by, I couldn't justify the $40.

...but guess who could? 

How are you spending this Halloween? 

What are you dressed as?

Wordless Wednesday... Boo!

Thrifted Thursday. The Pair of Purple Rugs

I started working at the Antique store when I was 15. Being a teenager I didn't care a bit about the old dusty things I was selling...

but cared a whole lot about my boss' sons

So I treated it as a job & measured a good weekend by smiles & flirts instead of old things with stories to tell. Needless to say, I didn't buy much

These two purple area rugs were something I couldn't pass up though.

These sisters, seem to have nothing in common but their colors.

(and here is where my adult historian storytelling heart is mad at my teenage self) There was a third full sized rug, that combined the two of these different themes, that I passed on. 

At antique stores, flea markets & yard sales I always keep an eye out, but I've yet to find it. I can only imagine where that gem ended up

Dreamy window. Curlicues. Window box full of colorful blooms. 

Vases filled with colorful blooms. A chandelier. Magic flower filled smoke billows.

The cats (at home) were hellbent on shredding these two, so instead of letting them sit in the closet for another 3 years, why not make my work cubicle (...ahem mansion) a bit less work-y!

And now! 

Puppy in a cubicle...tail wagging

Which one do you like better Victorian Scenes or Arabian Dreams?

Cleopatra Bones is having trouble deciding

Wordless Wednesday...The Perfect Crunch

This morning, as I walked to the mailbox to drop in some packages, I came to the end of the sidewalk and stopped for the leaves. Which is an unremarkable thing really, they're dead leaves. But I had this urge to pick up a handful, crush them into confetti & run under them as they fell.  

It was awesome! It smelled like someone took a zester to autumn and it felt like being six. 

And that impulsive moment I'd forgotten what every little girl with long hair knows...

leaves are a bitch to comb out.

Move In Ready

Hello there, Dolls! I hope your weekend was great & that transitioning into Monday wasn't nearly as "Ugh" as it was for me! Although, last week at work we got a delivery of cubicles so I get to move into mine today. 

Normally, people don't get too jazzed about moving from a desk by a window with a glorious view of trees & a river...buuut these cubicles are nearly mansion sized & I'm increasing my storage by about 3 times.

Little victories in the workplace. 

Anyways, weekends are for hunting, here's a little snippet

Some treasures from the weekend. Autumn floral scene brooch. Hunter green gloves. Leaf shaped seed pearl brooch. Rin Tin Tin German Shepherd game.

& a Mary Houghton's religious birthday book from Christmas 1880.

Thrifted Thursday...Record Dancers

Aren't these two so cute? 

Printed on thick double sided cardstock and sitting on a gourd shaped brass stand, a couple is dancing endlessly. A swatch of fabric is gathered to make her skirt 3-D and whether or not she knows how big her bottom half looks...

This is the sorta thing that I can imagine being in most peoples homes, at least homes with romantic young ladies. 

That said, I have yet to find anything about our cardboard couple & since there aren't any markings or writing on either side, it was a frustrating search.

Based on her Marcel Wave...& his tuxedo with the spats and the white gloves I'm going with late teens/early 20's.

The other thing that stumped me was I'm not sure exactly how fast they were supposed to be dancing, from the front they look ready to Waltz all night, but when you flip it over...

She looks like she's ready to call it a night. That or she's tired of his wandering gaze? What exactly is he looking at?

So I experimented. First up, was a 78 RPM single of Judy Garland singing "Somewhere Over The Rainbow". Which, I know that song wasn't produced or even sung until decades later, but the speed of 78 RPM (rotations per minute) was the standard speed until the 1950's, so this would've been the speed they'd be dancing to.

After World War II, technology had improved and the 33 1/2 Long Play (LP) record came about. The 33 1/2 RPM spun slower so I picked "This is Tommy Dorsey and his Clambake Seven". I shit you not. Mr. Dorsey thought that was a good title to put on a record for all the world to see. Haha

The song is "Sailing at Midnight" sung by Leslie Burke. 

So in short, I should have picked a better mix of songs,

 but that said, which do you like better? 

Wordless Wednesdays

Thrifted Thursday

I wanted to try something new here. A weekly theme all about something I bought that's either vintage or antique that is currently lending its beauty to my house....Welcome to Thrifting Thursday!

I thought of this, because firstly, I love writing on this little blog, but often get overwhelmed by all the stuff I could say which usually leaves saying nothing at all. & Secondly, I can get a bit...hoardy. 

As in, I frequently get asked when the museum is opening. So here's free admission for you dolls!

Books! 

The books, in the way books tend to be, fill every room. They hide about in the shadows until they feel at home then they get up & fill nearly every flat surface. They attack like ants...only with more substance & beauty.

Some suitcases & a chair with gorgeous details.

Books, suitcases & chairs with caning so delicate they usually just end up as plant stands

That's about 90 percent of my house. No, I'm only kidding...about the chairs.

The suitcases (and the trunks) are a real problem. I moved in with Mr. Acorns with 7. He said no more. Three years later, he's given up on them & we've  near quadrupled our stacks of them. 

The bottom trunk was the start of it all. I found it in my parents attic filled with college papers from an aunt. I navigated it down the creaky stairs & filled it with all the treasures a 10 year old could possess. I was in heaven!

So, there you are! Feel free to join in,  I'd love to see your thrifted gold!

Wordless Wednesdays : Changing Seasons...Crookedly

Wordless Wednesday...A Peek into 1866

Wordless Wednesday: When You See The Opulence...

A Haunting

Sometimes it's hard to come to reason why things happen the way they do. For me & mine 2013 has been riddled with news that's hard to take. I've been just sorta floating along taking it, but these past few weeks have been hard. It's like I had hit my limit of sadness & just shut down. 

I'd flown to Kansas in a tornado & instead of trying to get home I just wanted to crawl under the house & leave the shiny red shoes just where they were. Which is what I did.

I found this transferred image of a person in a Victorian album. 
Something about someone taking all the photographs from this book, only to have one picture be left behind permanently on the opposite page...it's haunting and fantastic. A fleeting moment in time, hoped to be forever remembered by a photo. 

It reminded me of the Victorian post mortem photos that got a pretty big thrill earlier this year in the news. Can you imagine having photography be so new & expensive that the only photo you have of your loved one was one where he or she was dead?

Now, photos are everywhere. We have the luxury of taking so many pictures of ourselves & our loved ones that we can discard hundreds of "bad" ones & in only minutes.  

Anyways, clearly the person above was alive just getting a portrait. I've never seen a post mortem photo in real life, but it's interesting to think about how people mourn.

I included this really poor quality shot of another Victorian album,
 just for it's stunning detail. 

I hope you are all well & happy.
-Kait

Wordless Wednesday: Days Gone By

Brimfield Bound

Today we played hooky & drove out to Brimfield to go to the last flea market of 2013. 

I rather like going on the last days, I feel like the sellers are more human & faced with the threat of having to haul stuff home, are way more likely to give good deals.

We dont usually buy much, but we always find something & we always have a great time. 

Mr. Acorns grew up in the town so its fun to see who still works at the Italian restaurant & the gas station.

Personally my favorite part of the day is picnicing on the bank of the river.

So loaded with a twenty & a smile, we'll see what the day brings us!

Happy Friday to you!