Tag: Antiquing

I’m Still Learning

· 18 Comments ·

I spent my entire weekend budget in less than an hour, but….I learned some things about myself in the process. I had stopped buying vintage items.

I noticed it over Christmas. Getting sucked into online world. Click a button, and it’ll be at your door the next day. Sometimes the same day. Get it sent to a ‘locker’ near you and pick it up in a little while.

Immediate gratification is fleeting.

♥

I drove over to a friend’s Shoppe for a visit and to see if she had any lamps. The lamp in my bedroom was not giving me any joy. It was new, and modern looking, and has been bothering me for a while. My friend’s Shoppe was closed, but there’s an antique Shoppe next-door. It was a good day to wander through one of those.

A lamp caught my eye, but it was part of a set. I asked the store owner if he would split up the set. After a quick call to the vendor, it was a yes to the lamp.

lamp1

I love the details of this lamp, and it gives the room a warm glow. My previous lamp was just a bright light. There’s a difference.

lamp2

Items like these aren’t considered vintage to me. I grew up with this stuff. They are however, classic goodness.

Walking through the Shoppe, I strolled from room to room. Was there anything else that needed a good home? Then, I saw this little crushed velvet seat. It would match my bedroom drapes, and give me a spot to sit and put on shoes. (Because everyone needs that)

velvetchair

At this angle it seems to be looking at me. Probably gonna have to give it a name.

♥

No regrets my darling and we learn as we go. I may regret sipping this Bluebottle cold brew later on tonight, but as I already confessed…I’m still learning.

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These Two Jars

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A couple of weeks ago, I went to the beach.

From that short, little trip, I brought home a ton of fresh inspiration, and these two jars.

They were sitting outside of a little ‘hidden treasure shop.’ That is my way of describing junk stores. 🙂

It was love at first sight, and the price was right! (Hah! That rhymed! The extent of my poetry skills.)

jars1
Aren’t they darling?

I had a couple of ideas about using them, but if nothing else, they would remind me of the beach.

♥ ♥ ♥

The small one sits on the coffee bar. Maybe it will be used for coffee beans, but it’s a little large for a pound of beans. I’m thinking cookies instead.

The large jar is sitting on the coffee table.

My big idea last week was to make it into a gratitude jar. Oh yes lovely. To write down something you’re grateful for everyday and drop it in the jar.

jar2

I even went all anal and cut out pretty pieces of paper to write on, but then I had this vision.

What if my neighbor came by for a visit?

She would notice this large jar with pieces of paper in it and I would refer to it as a gratitude jar.

If she stopped by a few months from now, the jar would probably be half full, or more. That would be impressive, right? Looking at it today with just a few pieces of paper laying on the bottom, I would feel led to tell her it is something new.

Implementing something new starts small.

Either scenario feels embarrassing for both of us.

♥ ♥ ♥

I’ll find an old shoe box to use instead and keep jotting something down each day. It will be interesting at the end of the year to go though the slips of paper and read what I was grateful for.

There is a better purpose for these two jars.

Little Bit of Everything

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Life happens. It’s what we choose to do with it that matters. We can continually deal with what it throws at us, take a side step and live in denial, or step up and make a shift. Ask yourself, “What are three options?”, toward every situation. Then take a step toward what’s best.

I’m a country girl, and love country music. Being young at heart, my fave artists are Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Chris Young and Keith Urban. These guys sing about love, having fun, enjoying a simple life and getting through the rough spots. These are not your, “Let’s get drunk push Mama off a train,” kinda guys. Their songs will make you smile. Keith Urban actually laughs during some of his songs! One song in particular by Keith opened my eyes to endless options of what we can receive from life. A Little Bit of Everything.

The beginning of the song, Keith mentions hanging a disco ball from an old oak tree. Having an old oak tree in my backyard this worked for me! Why not?

discoball

The song is about endless options.

Keith doesn’t focus on how to quickly fix his situation. He projects options and leaves the door wide open for ‘a little bit of everything’ to occur. It’s not about what we think we need, it’s about taking the limits off what could happen. He sings, “Well, I know that I don’t need a whole lot of anything…I just want a little bit of everything.”

Participating in a Letting Go Workshop, we learn to ‘Let Go’ of what is not serving us or anyone around us. I collected a lot of material and mental debris over the years. When it became obvious it was time to start downsizing my home, I would have never guessed it was going to take me where I am today. A lot of time, energy and money go into maintaining a large home full of stuff. What if that same time, energy and money was available again? What would that look like?

If my plate is full, or overcrowded, that doesn’t allow room for anything new! God has cleaned my plate many a time over the past 10 years, and there’s always change involved. I live in a house that is 5 times smaller than where I began.  The material items are minimal, but each one brings me joy! The same amount of time spent to clean one bathroom before, is spent cleaning my entire house today.

I have time and freedom which is precious.

NO

As I was going though The Letting Go process, I realized these methods would continue to serve me throughout everyday life. The downsizing of material things showed me there’s a huge difference between want and need. What brings you joy?

I hope it’s a little bit of everything.