the love day

I've been eyeballing a few lovelies that sure would make for a sweet V-day...

vintage silver charms necklace by the vintage pearl

once upon a time ring by luxe adornments

coasters from shine your light studios

I'm kind of obsessed with headbands right now. how cute is this one from betwixxt?

love mugs by simply pretty prints

"lovebirds" by Lucky Bluebird Art

you can't get much more Valentine-y than a heart-shaped locket. by armelle jewelry

flea market finds: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Yesterday I managed to get the hubs to watch the baby for the afternoon so that I could do some errand-running {ok, SHOPPING :)} sans baby. I hadn't been to my fave local flea market in awhile, so I made that one of my stops. Since I had the luxury of taking my time, I decided to snag some pics of some of the, well, interesting things you might find in a flea market. And of course I also had to take some pics of some of my fave things.

{These pics were taken with my phone, so obviously they’re not that great. And I’m sure the other customers in the store were wondering what in the world I was doing, taking pics of all the merchandise…they were probably all, "This ain't no museum! Make a purchase, lady!"}

So here's your virtual flea market shopping trip...

This made me sad. This gorgeous antique vanity had been poory refinished.

Bad '80s furniture makeovers run rampant. Hey, at least it matches the rug.

I have no idea what's going on with this stand, but it made me smile. And I'm pretty sure you have to say it like "Breakfast with FAHTHA."

No, this isn't for sale. It's one of the 4 sinks in the disgustingly-creepy-unisex-no ventilation-always smells like poo-bathroom at the flea market. I didn't dare take a pic of anything else in there, lest you all vomit on your computers. The bad part is, I had to pee TWICE while I was there. Seriously Dot, makeover the bathroom already! The whole thing is original to the circa 1952 department store that the flea market was originally. I'll admit it right here - I didn't wash my hands. I'm pretty sure they would have been germier if I had. Thank you, hand sanitizer.

I love this old radio!

This pencil sharpener is similar to one we had when I was growing up.

Vintage jewelry? Yes please! {ooohhh, shiny....}

I'm really diggin' this old globe. I may have to go back & purchase it.

There were several old metal fans. This wasn't my fave, but I love the look of these. If only they had all been turned on...it was hot as blazes in there!

Uhhh...creeptastic. I know it's all, vintage-y & junk, but yikes. Apparently this one is super old though cause her price tag was a whopping $115. {But she is looking RIGHT AT ME. Nightmares much?}

This old desk is fabulous. I wonder what its history is.

The pattern on this Corning coffee pot is adorable! I almost bought this, and then I thought, "but what would I do with it?" I need a bigger house so I can buy all this stuff. :)

If you want to buy these coasters, don't. They are $15 for a set of 4. I make similar coasters, only cuter, and they're $10 for a set of 4 or $15 for a set of 6. Hopefully the vendor of this booth isn't reading my blog. :)

I seriously almost bought this clock. Baron laughed at me when I told him that. It's so cute! The only reason I didn't is because it doesn't light up or glow in the dark so it would be impractical for my bedroom. Good story.

...and then I saw this clock. How fun & retro is this? Very Brady Bunch-ish.

Lots of old cameras. And there were LOTS more in this booth.

This is a German calendar. I took a pic because my husband was born in Germany, so he's practically German. Even though he's not. Anyway I then noticed the skull at the top of the calendar. Those creepy Germans.

Ummmm...?

Ok, seriously. Old baby bottles = kinda cool. Black/cracked/smooshed bottle nipples = NOT COOL. This freaks me out every time I see it. I almost want to buy them & then throw them away just so I don't have to see them in this booth every time I'm there.

Old books are always awesome.

The tag on this one said "vintage bird print made with seashells." Ok folks, you can't just slap "vintage" on something & it's automatically cool. These birds had FEATHERS. and the branches are made of SHELLS. No.

"Hey, how should we makeover this wicker bench? I know - let's tile the top of it!" FAIL.

yes please.

I am almost certain I need this bag from Amy Kathryn. Diaper bag? Yes. Purse (for whenever I get to carry one again)? Yes. Better still...I can get it on sale through Totsy!! Something to think about & spring on Baron later... ;)

mom jeans

Well, I'm not a mom yet, but I bought some mom jeans. I was deceived by the fact that they are from Old Navy. I have put on a couple of pounds in the past few months, and while I may not look bigger, my jeans/pants definitely fit smaller. So, while we were in Foley last weekend, I did the inevitable: jean shopping. I hate jean shopping. On the one hand, I am 29 years old. I want "hip" jeans. {Does it make me un-hip that I just said that?} But on the other hand, I am 29 years old. My metabolism is slowing, and the ultra-low-rise-super-skinny-mocha-latte jeans just don't work as well for me any more. So, there I stood, in Old Navy, about to begin the process.

Probelm #1: Leg length. I am 5' 4" so it's hard to find the right length. At Old Navy, they conveniently have short, regular, and long lengths. Which is great, if you're short, regular, or long. But I'm in-between short & regular. So I am either flooding or dragging. I prefer to drag, so I got the regular length. Problem #1 = not solved, but settled.

Problem #2: Choose your fit. Weekend, Diva, Sweetheart, Flirt, Dreamer. Sounds cute. Very confusing. Low rise, mid-rise, classic rise. Relaxed fit, slim fit, straight fit. Boot cut, skinny cut, trouser cut. I AM SO CONFUSED. Ok, let's try process of elimination: no relaxed cut. That means baggy, right? No thanks. I already have a pair of Diva jeans, and while they are flattering, they are like super low rise or something & I have a severe case of muffin top when I wear them. Finally, after researching all of the different fits, I narrowed it down to two: Sweetheart and Dreamer. Problem #2 = almost solved.

Problem #3: What size do I wear again? {I am not going to reveal my jean size, in an attempt to make people keep thinking I am skinnier than I really am. I probably wear a bigger size than you think.} First of all, the size varies depending on where you are shopping. JC Penney has different sizing than, say, American Eagle. At American Eagle I am apparently a heiffer. At JC Penney I feel skinny. Whatever. Old Navy stands nicely between the two, and I can buy a size that I feel comfortable purchasing without feeling too big or too small. So, I went up one size from the last pair I purchased here, since my too-tight jeans I last purchased are the reason I'm jean shopping to begin with. Problem #3 = solved.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of digging through stacks & stacks of jeans to find the right cut/size/length/shade of denim that I wanted, I find The Pair. And since this is an outlet store, and everything is 40% off, they are only $20. Score. I am so pumped to wear my new perfectly-fitting-except-for-the-length {which I will perpetually struggle with} jeans! I get home & wash them, in an attempt to shrink them a little in the leg/butt area {yeah they were a little droopy-drawered in the store, but my jeans ALWAYS shrink too much so I went slightly droopier than normal}. Wednesday night = church night. I love wearing new clothes, so I'm pumped about these new jeans. I put them on. What are these? Did I choose these jeans? THESE ARE MOM JEANS! I chose the Dreamer cut, which is a "classic rise". Which sounds mom-ish, but I don't remember them being so mom-ish in the store? What have I done? Stacy & Clinton would throw these in the garbage for sure. They come way too close to my belly button. Fortunately I am long-waisted so they don't actually touch my belly button, but still. This is very unusual for me. I have so much room in these jeans, I could run laps. I do NOT look like the model pictured in this ad for "The Dreamer" jeans.

But...they are comfortable. I don't have a muffin top. Maybe I can even get invited to a few play dates with these jeans. We shall see.

chunky + vintage + cheap = love it!

Check out these funky vintage costume rings from Lilly's Vintage Costume Jewelry...

this one is my personal fave:

yes, please.

I've been married four years. Is it too late to change my china pattern???

{view it here at west elm}

therapy.

I had a bad day today. I've had a rough 3 weeks at work, and then yesterday it finally got better, and then today was a bad day. And since Baron is out of town until tomorrow, I didn't have him to come home & vent to & be comforted...so...I went shopping. :-) Here is my therapy - new bedding! Shhhh...Baron doesn't know about it yet. :-)

cool stuff!

I'm going to copy Jillina and post a shameless plug for Ashley's business. She is a great artist & you will not be disappointed with any of her products! Check out the site & buy some stuff!!

small business idea

I have an idea for anyone who wants to start a small business in the Montgomery area. We need a collegiate sporting goods store. Just because we live in Alabama doesn't mean we are Auburn or Alabama fans. Granted, the majority of Alabama residents do root for one or the other, but there are other college teams represented in this state. The reason I bring this up is because I am a Georgia fan, and it is so difficult to find Georgia paraphernalia in this town! I know, I know - I can shop online. Here is my problem: I have purchased a total of 3 Georgia shirts online. One is a plain t-shirt that runs a little big, so I don't wear it very often because I look like I'm in my PJs or something. One is a really super cute brown & pink shirt, which shrunk "up", meaning it was too short for my waistline. I gave that one away. The third is a 3/4 sleeve shirt that says "I [heart] the bulldogs." Super cute. I put on this shirt this morning so I could support the dawgs at work today, and who wants to guess how short this shirt was when I put it on? It stopped ABOVE my belly button! What in the world? It was like the '80s midriff shirt fully revived. This is why I now hesitate to buy UGA shirts online - because I do not have a single success story from my past online t-shirt purchases.

So, in conclusion, if you are thinking of a small business to start up, please consider a store that sells not only AU/UA gear, but stuff pertaining to all college teams! Please!! I don't even mind if the majority of the stuff is AU/UA, considering that we are, in fact, in Alabama. But we "outsiders" need a place to shop!

P.S. I tried to find a funny pic to represent my '80s midriff look from this morning, but all of the "midriff" pics are scandalous. Oh well.