P.S.

This is the coffee table I was talking about in the post below this one. Don't you think a collection of vintage/antique photos would look great under the glass?

Kitterson is a total ham and didn't care about sitting under the table until he saw me getting the camera.

Vintage photos

I bought these vintage photos on my lunch break today. I just love the joy in the first photo:

Front:

Back:

Front:

Back:

All of these photos came as a group, and I have many others I did not show. I plan on putting them under the glass top of an old wooden coffee table I really love. I think it will look great-I'll show pics when I do it!

I've been thinking about a swap...

I'm not sure yet what kind of swap, but I'd love to organize something if any of you are interested. Something small, vintage, light so it will be inexpensive to ship anywhere. An old key whose purpose will forever remain a mystery, a bit of lace, a handful of vintage buttons, maybe an antique photo...any ideas? If you have an idea or would be interested in participating, please let me know. Everyone loves mail, right?!

Free shipping

I just love this fabric! I also wanted to mention here I'm having free shipping in the shop on all cuffs through February 1st. Shipping fee will be refunded via Paypal. Happy Wednesday!

Lookshelves

I came across this site today while blog-hopping. Lookshelves is described as a site for literary voyeurs. I think this site is great- you are asked to submit a photo of your bookshelf (without tidying it or altering it in any way!). Along with submitting a photo, you are to provide the answer to five short questions (listed on the site) to give the reader an idea of who you are. Some might find this dull, but I think it's really neat to look into a person's life in this way. You can learn a lot about a person by his or her bookshelf!

Love this

I have about a week and a half before I start to move into the "new" house. I've been looking online for inspiration and I'm just LOVING this room. Of course, I won't have a nook like this, but I sure wish I did! I'm not crazy about the chair, but I just love that cozy bed area.

Image from here.

Amazing.

Would you just look (click to zoom) at this gorgeous drawing of Julia?! The extremely talented Kelley from drawworm made me this drawing using one of my favorite photos as a reference:

I am in total awe of how wonderful this drawing turned out. The hair is gorgeous, Julia's nose and eyes are perfect, the way the sun shines on her shoulder...the list goes on. Kelley is seriously the best portrait artist I've seen. If you've ever thought of having a drawing made from a photo, do consider Kelley! I am so beyond pleased and cannot wait to hang this piece of art in my new home. Thank you SO much, Kelley! Oh, make sure to visit her lovely blog as well.

P.S. Thank you so much to those of you who have voted for me on Poppytalk! If you would still like to vote, please go here and choose ponder & stitch!

Oh my gosh!

I just found out that I've been nominated for a Poppy award on the wonderful site, Poppytalk! I've been nominated in the "accessories" category for my cuffs and I would be so grateful if all of my blog friends and followers would vote for me!!! I'm honored to be nominated- truly! It only takes a second. Please go here and vote for ponder & stitch! Thank you so very much!

You can't see it but I'm blushing right now! :)

Thrift store score!

I didn't have time to take any GOOD photos this morning but I just had to share! Yesterday on my lunch break I went to my local thrift store and found a huge set of these insanely adorable vintage dishes!!! I've photographed a few of my favorite pieces. The second pic is a gravy boat and the third pic shows a creamer in the background. I was so excited to find these because I already own some of the teacups from this set. Not only that, but this set is extremely similar to my pink set here.

This aqua set at the thrift store came with nine teacups and matching saucers and BIG stack of dessert plates. I also got a sugar bowl and some other odds and ends. I got the whole thing for $14.00. YAY!

I know I don't NEED a doll...

...but I'd like to see someone try to convince me that I don't need one of THESE dolls by Evangelione. They are absolutely amazing:






I've made dolls before and I know how very difficult it is to turn really skinny appendages right-side-out. Sometimes it can be maddening. Plus, the faces on these dolls are perfectly adorable, not to mention the sweet outfits. I WILL own one! She's sold out right now, but I'll be watching closely for an update...

Oh. My. Gosh.

Remember this post? For those of you who didn't follow me back then, I had ordered the curio service from Leafcutter Designs. Lea asks you to provide 20 words- no stories or explanations- just 20 words. She then finds you the perfect treasure based on the words you provided. When I purchased the curio service, I was sent the loveliest vintage milk glass bird. It just so happens I was the first person to ever purchase that particular service, and, consequently, the first person to write a blog post about the wonderful experience I had. As a thank you and out of the kindness of her heart, Lea offered to send me a tiny "bonus" curio. I was to provide 20 additional words and she would find me the perfect treasure. Friends, I couldn't have picked something more perfect if I'd done it myself. Here were my words:

key, yellow, secret, typewriter, vine, thunder, mummy, compartment, birch, vessel, cemetery, abandoned, curiosity, locket, scroll, letterbox, path, warm, parlor, hearth

Today I received this:



I am now the proud owner of my own antique mourning locket!!! I have wanted one of these for so very long- when I opened the box and saw it I almost had to remember to breathe. Look at the woven hair inside! Oh my gosh, it is so lovely. I don't have time to post the accompanying letter right now as I'm heading back to work, but I just had to share this with all of you! The locket came to me from Australia. It also happens to be engraved with my dad's initials!! GB. I do urge all of you to order this service from Leafcutter Designs. It is all such a mystery not knowing what you are going to receive. I'm still in awe about this. Thank you SO much, Lea! You couldn't have chosen anything better. xoxo

P.S. This locket is a bit smaller than a dime- it is SO perfectly tiny!

Wanna win one of these?

Well, you're in luck because I'm giving one away! Just go visit Nicole over at my teacups in peony and enter!

I'm going to buy something...

...and call it a housewarming gift to myself. :) I shouldn't be buying anything at all right now, but just in case I end up giving in...which one of these items should I get?

the best mugs ever from thesundaytimesmarket.

adorable vintage frying pan from OldenVintage.

wall shelf with hooks and a sweet little jelly jar by OldNewAgain.


Or maybe one with a note center instead...

Oh, or maybe the tiny oil lamp or vintage box from this post...

Of course I always wait so long that everything I want will probably be gone by the time I decide. I need to stop doing that!

Changes

Some of you have noticed I've been much quieter lately. You see, life is changing. Last month I had my 11th and final wedding anniversary. What used to be "us" will now be me. The house above will be mine on February 1st. A house I purchased by myself. A very old house. A small house. But mine. I will make it warm and cozy and fill it with all the things I hold dear. I will sew and drink tea in vintage mugs and read books and cuddle with cats and have movie nights with Julia. I will cry. I will be scared. Very scared. I will worry. I will be ok.

But enough of the sad. I'm done with the sad. I'll be needing opinions on paint colors. And organizing tips. And I'll need support when I've stripped almost 100 years worth of wallpaper and am pulling my hair out. There will be before-and-after posts. And it won't be sad. So stick around. :)

Memories

If you were asked to think back as far as you could and describe your earliest memory, what would it be? Mine was seeing a brown rabbit in the yard and trying to feed it a carrot with the help of my mom. She says I was probably two years old at the time. I remember being so excited to see that brown bunny up close!

I'd love to hear your earliest memories...tell me a story!

***adorable print above from trafalgarssquare.

They love eachother.

You know how a ray of sunshine will stream in through the window and the cat will always find that one spot where the sun hits the floor and bask away? I caught my two boys snuggling together in that spot this afternoon. Usually they see me catch them and immediately spring apart and look around like they were never doing it. But today I caught them on camera. PROOF! Kitterson is on the left and Finn is on the right. :)

Wanted:

Vintage brown floral tray from mushroomandmoss. LOVE.

I am dying over this teeny vintage oil lamp from nowvintage. It's only six inches tall and three inches wide! I want it!


I love this little old box from goodbuyannies! It's only three inches square and two inches tall. I LOVE how the name Alice is engraved on the top. Of course I don't need a box with the name Alice on the lid, but Alice was real. She had this box and it was probably special to her at some point. I think that is something that should be remembered, even if I didn't know Alice. I love the circular compartment inside, too! I'm trying hard to save right now but it's really hard for me to resist this one!

Someone's family

Oh, how I wish I could post a good photo of this old family portrait (click on it to zoom)! I tried to get a good shot but it is the antique bubble glass and no matter what I did the reflection was awful. This was the best I could get! I bought this online maybe three years ago, and was able to save money on shipping by picking it up in person. It's really big, at almost two feet tall! Just look at those faces! There is very old pencil handwriting on the back that labels the girl at the top of the photo Grandma Linda's mother and the boy next to her Uncle Ralph. There is more writing I could probably read if I really, really tried. I just love the face on the little girl in front. The boy in the front looks like he's up to no good. The seller of this photo didn't know much about it other than it was a family from the town in which I was raised. I like to think I may have brushed shoulders with the ancestors of these people at some point.

This was someone's family. And I've kind of adopted them. They deserved a home, don't you think?

Pretty things around the house

A place for my tea bag.

This old dresser is one of my favorites. The person who sold it to me had acquired it when it was completely painted (old paint). She began to sand it and found these gorgeous flowers beneath the paint! She was afraid to go any further and ruin the original loveliness. I bought it like this and actually love the old flowers and gray paint peeking through. Maybe one day I'll try to strip it down to the original gray.

A favorite pillow from enhabiten.

A pretty crocheted rock from bodhitree. You know how I am with rocks.

A favorite old table.

An antique decanter. The glass bottle is encased in this lovely scrollwork.