Imaginary Decor
Look what I found at Marshalls the other day!
You will not ever, not in a million years guess how much I paid for it.
One whole dollar!
Hard to believe but so very true! I found it on the clearance shelf hidden behind a bunch of other things and to my surprise it was in perfect unmarred condition.
That is what I call a bargain! I placed it on my dresser and dangled some pretty things on it. Which makes me really want a jewelry hanging/storage thing-a-ma-bob like this one I spied on Design Sponge a while back. I don't have the room for something like this right now, but I've got a few old frames hanging around and an idea or four swirling through my mind.
Love and Finding Things That are Pretty for a Steal,
Grandmother's House She Went
This weekend while in Tampa I went and stayed with my Grandmother. I'd not seen her in two and a half years so it was great to finally see her and squeeze her and love on her for a bit. 
For those of you who know me, or who've read my blog for a while know how much I adore my grandmother and how I've missed her. I found her in good spirits, but for the first time in my life she seemed old. I mean, it's too be expected I suppose, she is 83 after all. It's just that when you haven't seen someone in a while, its almost like seeing them for the first time. You take note of all the things that have changed, and what has remained the same and although she's still the same person I did find her somewhat changed. Not in a bad way-just different. Much like when you see a movie again for the first time since you were a kid and although it was still pretty darn good, you find that you may have enhanced things a bit in your memory.
My memories of my grandmother haven't changed my perception of her has. I've always viewed her as this "Rosie the Riveter" type of person. Strong, capable, a person who could do anything she put her mind to. Now, she seems frail, like a newly hatched chick I found myself wanting to baby her like I do my own children. I tried not to ofcourse knowing that would not be to her liking as she still likes to think her self the completely independent person she always was. I came away from my weekend with a new appreciation for her and a desire to bottle up every little ounce of information that's stored in her long memory.
Miami Twice Vintage
Yesterday I took a little mini-excursion into a shop I'd not been to in over ten years (since I moved away), Miami Twice. I would go there when I was in high-school and just get all googly eyed over all of their antiques and retro pieces. Yes, I was into vintage when it wasn't a cool or hip thing. It was so great to go back and find the store still carried all the fun stuff. I could literally spend the entire day-but since I had the little guy with me, that wasn't feasable.While there I fell in love with this green 1950's number-went and tried it on only to find that the zipper wouldn't go past my rib cage. I wanted to cry because it was actually really affordable at under $50. The second dress I tried on was so cute, and totally me too. It was a magenta polka-dot number that I just may have to go back and get! 
I think, if I could I would probably fill my entire wardrobe from the pages of Vogue magazine of years past (mixed in with some contemporary pieces too of course!)
Small Bedroom Design (WIP)
When I moved to Miami to live with my in-laws while my husband serves his remote tour I knew that I'd have a small bedroom to call my own. I haven't had a room-just to myself since I married ten years ago and although I've always decorated how I saw fit. The idea of decorating a room that is just for me was-and is really appealing. A few weeks ago I was browsing some website, I'm guessing it was either flickr or weheartit, but I could have easily just searched small bedroom images and come across this, my inspiration photograph.
Unfortunately I neglected to note where I got it from which means I can't tell you who the rightful owner of it is, nor can I thank them for inspiring my current decor scheme. Mainly because I was drawn to this daybed from Ikea and secondly because I'd already had a shelf like the one pictured. Plus the decor is so totally and completely me I could have easily designed this room myself!
This room is still a work in progress (WIP) I didn't really bring any of my "knick knacks" in aside from my desk things and a small glass swan a friend of mine gave me as I figured I'd have two years to collect plenty of new treasures. (Not to mention the stuff my husband will send me from Korea!)
(You can click on the photo to get a better view of the larger image.)
Update:
I did some smart key word searching and found the rightful owner of my inspiration photograph. Check our this lovely little flat where she calls home.
xo,
We Made It!
We made it to Miami...way back on January 16th.
Just after a surprise visit to Disney World. Our boys hadn't been and we hadn't been back since our honeymoon (today's my tenth anniversary by the way) so it was really fun. Crazy hectic and completely exhausting but totally worth it!Boy I've missed blogging and just sharing my day to day. I never intended to stay away from my blog for so long-but we only just got access to our household goods this week and my laptop has been on the skits, add in being crazy busy trying to get one kid enrolled in school and another baptized-plus a slew of other things and my hiatus happened organically. That's not to say that I've not wanted to blog-on the contrary I've probably written 100 blog posts in my mind...As I write this, I'm not even sure I'm able to promise to be back to blogging daily just yet. My husband departs in less than two weeks and family time is going to take precedence. Then after that...I really am going to play it by ear.
I do however have a slew of Project 365 photos to share with you and I will just as soon as I'm organized!
xo,
Winter Vocative
With our pending departure from Virginia/D.C. I've been reflecting on the change of seasons, and realize that I am going to miss them. Last month we had some snow and I snapped this photograph as it fell. It happened to be a day where I had a ton of errands to run, and the snow was rather an inconvenience-because truth be told, snow is a pain in the bum. However, I caught myself cursing it and realized what a foolish thing that was. Instead I really looked at it, and said a little prayer of gratitude for the beauty it does wrap the world in as it blankets the earth.I meant to share this picture sooner but this snow fall happened to coincide with the weekend my mom visited, then it was Christmas, and New Years all while getting organized for the move-and I managed to forget all about it.Yesterday morning as I made the hour drive to have my tattoo done, I was blessed with the early morning-untouched view of snow draped branches and bushes and the beauty it offered me. I lamented on not having my camera with me because I would have loved to get out and snap a few photographs-but it made me recall this simple little one and my desire to share it with you along with one of my favorite winter themed poems...And so, here it is. It is not a apart of my Project 365 (I'll post today's picture tomorrow when I've got a moment to upload it).
Broken sky mirror,blue-shadowed snow,June is far now,
hold while you can; showbare of branchstark of stalk:
ache us to know.
- Winter Vocative by William Bronk
i carry your heart with me literary tattoo
I technically didn't snap this photograph-my husband did. However, I didn't want to forget this day when I-in a romantic expression of love, had this quote from my favorite E. E. Cummings poem tattooed on my back. As I'm sure I mentioned, my husband is about to embark on a two year extended tour in Asia-being the person that I am-I wanted to do something a bit dramatic to express my love and to mark our ten year anniversary (later this month.)When I first read this poem, my husband was in Iraq and Cummings' words rang so true to me, I felt as if my own heart had penned the words. I've been mulling the idea of getting this quote on my back since then, and when we learned of his next military assignment I initially planned on having it done while he was away-to later surprise him. However I decided that sooner would be better (I'm not a fan of putting things off) and so I did it today. I also thought the timing was perfect!
i carry your heart with me
i carry your heart with me (i carry it inmy heart) i am never without it (anywherei go you go, my dear; and whatever is doneby only me is your doing, my darling)i fearno fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i wantno world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)and it's you are whatever a moon has always meantand whatever a sun will always sing is youhere is the deepest secret nobody knows(here is the root of the root and the bud of the budand the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which growshigher than soul can hope or mind can hide)and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)
-Edward Estlin Cummings
It was quite a nice day. The tattoo artist who did this tattoo and my lyrical "graceful dancing" one is a very talented gentleman named Neil Stavely. I also got to share the day with my good friend Noelle who had her daughter's initial-the letter "D" tattooed on her wrist.