Old Family Pictures - my mother's side

I love taking pictures. Photographs capture the moments of life. Every photo has a story. I am thankful to have quite a few old family photographs. I got my love for pictures from my Mother. She has album upon album - as do I. I am so thankful she preserved many old photographs. She has given me copies of many of them and some I have are originals. Someday I will treasure the originals when she passes them on to me. For now I love having the copies displayed in my home.

I recently did the collage of photos above. They are from my mother's side of the family. The three top photos are my mother as a child. The left middle one is of my maternal grandmother as a child with her sisters. The middle photo is of my Mother's parents as a young couple. The middle right picture is of my grandpa as a child with his siblings. The bottom left picture is of my mother and her family. In this photo she is the youngest child. I believe her mother was expecting her brother Tom in this photo. The bottom right picture is of me and two of my cousins when we were very young. This collage is very special to me. Family and especially the Christian heritage that has been passed down to me through these people is priceless.

"But You, O LORD, reign forever; Your throne endures to all generations." Lamentations 5:19

My $1.00 Rocking Chair

One of my favorite finds is this old rocking chair. I really don't think it's incredibly old but it defintely is worn and had some years. I love the vintage pea green fabric (yes, I love that color!) and the images on it. I don't even care that it needs sewn (although I may eventually mend it). I saw this rocker at a neighborhood garage sale. I saw "$1.00" marked on it. I couldn't believe it. I asked the lady holding the sale about the price and she said yes, indeed it was just a dollar! One of my young daughters sat in it to reserve it while I continued to look around. It is actually the only piece of furniture in my home that is actually the right height for me! I'm not real short or anything but have shorter legs. When I sit in this chair my feet are actually on the ground - which is a nice change. It is a sturdy chair that not only I like the look of but I can enjoy sitting in.

I had fun putting some old pillows I picked up at the goodwill on it, along with a hat I picked up there too. It sits in the corner of my family room next to an old sewing table pictured below.

Decorating with thrift store Plates

I like to decorate with plates. Some I hang on the walls and some I display on counters. These are some of my finds. All of these I purchased at different times from my favorite goodwill store. The first 3 cost .50 cents each and the set of 12 cost me $2.50 all together! I do use this set when we have company. These are my colors!

Vintage is Unique

Another reason I love decorating with vintage treasures is the character and uniqueness about it! There simply is not an ounce of a packaged, sterile look about it. Each item is unique and shouts character! It's like welcoming folks into your own little museum.

Vintage is frugal

One of the best things about decorating vintage style is the cost! All of my treasures whether they are genuinely an antique or just have the vintage style appearance were purchased for next to nothing! The treasures that fill my house were mostly bought from the Goodwill, St. Vincent De Paul stores, or the like. Most items I buy cost less than $4.00 - with many of them only costing $1! Money goes along way with me! Many people tell me they have no luck at thrift stores. I think what is more often the case is they have no patience! You must have time and a love of the hunt to find the treasures. You also have to have an eye for it. You have to be able to see the beauty in something that someone else wouldn't give a second glance to. You need a little creativity, a little vision! That is probably why I love it all. I have an artist mind and thrift store shopping is like finding the right colors for a painting and putting the masterpiece together in my mind piece by piece!

an old desk w/ a new purpose

This desk was my husband's as a child. I love it - rat chewed legs and all! It's been sitting in our home for a good long time, given to us by his parents. I was recently inspired by a collage of old things my mother has sitting on an old desk to open the top of this desk and make it an area to display special photos and treasures. I am so pleased with it. I love the desk in itself but now it has even more purpose. Another bonus ~ all the items I set inside were elsewhere in my home so now I have room to put new treasures where those were!