Oh So Pretty

favorite friday find

Last week I found the most beautiful little shop but forgot my camera.  I am making a special trip this weekend to go take photos to share with you.  It is so divine - I know that you will just adore it.  I could have bought everything in this darling place if only my pocketbook would have allowed it.  This is my favorite find from that day.  The wire basket was $5 and all of the letters were $10.  There are 112 letters to and from Dora and Danal dating from 1924 to 1928.  I can't wait to read them. 

I find old letters so enchanting. They hold these pieces of time and allow us to glimpse into someone else's life. 

Here's to hoping that one day someone will treasure the little bits that we leave behind.

it must be a sign...

while out thrifting this week I found this charming little glass...

Can you see what it reads?  "The time to be happy is now."  I couldn't agree more.  So let's get on with it, shall we?

Thank you for all of your kind comments and emails - I truly appreciate them all.  I began this blog one year ago - I found kindred spirits along the way and feel so very lucky.  Things are not resolved in my life and may not be as I want them to be but this place, this lovely pretty place, can be whatever I want it to be so I need to come back and enjoy it this little bit of heaven. 

I have been out buying pretties- it always makes me feel better.  So I have lots of treasures to share.  I will work on taking some photos and posting them this week.  Thanks again for coming by to check in.  xoxo ~ dawn

life...interupted

Hello, friends.  I'm sorry that I've not been here much lately.  I have some personal things going on and just haven't had it in me to post...just trying to get through the days.  I have been stopping by to see your pretties now and then and miss you all so much.  I hope to be feeling like myself again soon - I may be down but I am not out.  I know that things will get better (just keep reminding myself of that)... xo ~ dawn

fun friday

Well, here it is Friday and my list is still not completed...but, I did find a few pretties when I stopped by the thrift store on Wednesday.  As you can tell from the pictures of my craft space, I usually just pile up the pretties.  I honestly have the best of intentions when making a purchase - I am just full of ideas - "Oooo - that could be lampshade!" or "That would be amazing in a collage!".  I just have a bit of a problem with, ahem, following through.  I don't want to "ruin"  this lovely little vintage bit that has "survived" the past eighty years only to be destroyed by little old me.  So, instead, these treasures sit, stacked up in my craft/guest room and I sit and admire them while here on the computer.  This time however, I did not add much to the piles.  I found two more vintage nightgowns to add to my "collection".  I have lots of them hanging on hooks in the bathrooms but decided to move them to the head of my girl's bed.  What do you think?

Here are some more photos of her room and playroom after "fluffing"...

...Christmas pressies put in their places in her room...

...table set for tea...

...huge pompoms (Martha's line) hanging from seam binding next to "clothesline"  hung with vintage doll dresses and wallpaper letters (Land of Nod) in her playroom...

Then I also picked up this sweet little painted basket for a quarter.  I filled it with vintage millinery flowers, tied on a little seam binding and had my little one use it as a prop in her portrait session that afternoon.  She is wearing a vintage dress too.  Isn't it adorable?

Have wonderful weekend and don't forget - "Northanger Abbey" is this Sunday - hurrah!

*snow day*

It's a snow day here at our house. 

The first of the season and our first glimpse at snow here in North Carolina this winter.   My daughter is beyond thrilled. 

So, my to-do list will just have to wait today.  We have important things planned liked making brownies and cocoa and playing outside.  When it gets too cold, we will come in and Mama will play with her new toy - the DVR.  Fun to be had by all, I'm sure!

Hope that you all have a wonderful day - keep warm!

slowly but surely...

Is it a problem when you can't see the "board" part of your inspiration board?

Or when there is nowhere else to put the vintage wallpaper?

Or the "pretties"?

Or when you don't have any idea what in the world could be inside all of those pretty "storage" boxes so when looking for something in particular you have to open them all?

I am making progress during my time off though.

1. Playroom cleaned, toys gone through, donations ready? Check.

2. Ava's bedroom (including closet and drawers contents) cleaned and organized? Check.

3. Ava's portrait? Scheduled for this afternoon.

4. Getting myself "together" for new job?  Working on it! Hair appointment made.  Lots of new clothes bought.

5.  Photos backed up on computer?  On-going.

6. Packages mailed?  Working on it.

7.  Getting my DVR hooked up so that I can record "Northanger Abbey" this Sunday?  I'm on my way to Time Warner to pick it up this morning. Woo-hoo!

8.  Having a little"me" time?  Check - Girl's night tonight and a little thrifting this afternoon. A girl's got to have priorities, don't you think?

9. Craft/guest room back in order?  As you can see from the photos - not even close!

I know that this list isn't exciting reading - I'm sorry.  It helps to keep me on track though so thanks for indulging me! 

Here's hoping that you have a wonderful and productive day!

It is a truth universally acknowledged...

...that I adore all things Austen. 

From your past comments , I know that many of you do too.  So, imagine my delight to find out that PBS is starting a four-month-long Masterpiece  Classic series, "The Complete Jane Austen"!  It is on Sunday nights at 9 pm., beginning with "Persuasion"  on January 13th (this Sunday).  Go here to see the promo. And here to find the "Men of Austen"....mmmm!

Oh, how I wish that I had my DVR service started already.  Enjoy, my friends!

(Edit: Wasn't it divine?!  Captain Wentworth was quite dishy. Oh, I can't wait until next Sunday.)

getting my head together

I am taking a few days off from working right now.  I've left my part-time job at a magazine and will be going back to work full-time.  I am thrilled to be starting this new position working for a wonderful non-profit organization and am eager to get involved again.  I've not worked full-time for three years and am lucky to have a bit of time to try and get my life in order before the craziness starts.  Of course, that is my intention but I have a LONG list of things that I want to do so we'll just have to see what gets done...

First on my list is getting childcare in order, so I met with an after-school program director the other day.  I had spoken to her at the beginning of the school year but her program (the best in our neighborhood) was full so we went onto the wait list.  Later, she called to let me know of an opening but I wasn't sure that I wanted to move Ava from her current program.  Now, we do and when the director pulled up my file, there was a little note in the comments field that was more fitting than she could even imagine...

It said, " Dawn Pagano - doesn't know what she is doing" .

She was so embarrassed! I couldn't help asking, "Gosh, is it really that obvious?"  LOL.  I just hope that's not what's on my tombstone! 

I guess that I had better get started on that To Do List.

Have a wonderful day, friends!

Lovelies from Lori

My dear friend, Lori, spoils my daughter and I each and every year at Christmas.  We now live in different states but both go "home"  to Michigan for the holidays.  While there, we girls exchange gifts (our poor husbands don't get anything anymore - it's all about the pretties).

I have such fun choosing gifts for her and her girls and wrapping them all up prettily (don't ask about this year's gift bag debacle!).  Lori made the most amazing paper bows this year, I couldn't wait to see what was inside.  Of course, I was not disappointed.  Look at these lovelies...

I adore this collage - isn't it just too much?

I also got this fabulous book filled with images from old Sears catalogs and vintage wrapping paper.  She gave my girl these sweet frozen charlottes from Jennifer Murphy (love her).

She founds these gorgeous pillows with barkcloth appliques.  They match a barkcloth throw in my family room exactly - how does she do it?

Continuing with the barkcloth theme...she embellished this jean jacket for my girl.  Miss Ava now has an original LoriLynn!  This is like the one that was featured in Altered Couture.  Lori, I think that I know what I want next year for Christmas - one in my size...please?

 

This sums up how we were all feeling that evening!

 

I'm so lucky to have such a wonderful friend - not because of the  pretties, but because she "gets" me and still loves me anyway.  I am blessed...

pretties to share

I am a December Birthday Girl and one thing that I always ask for is a little play money to go to the antique stores on my own and choose some pretties to bring home.  Again this year, my husband indulged me with a "free pass" - what fun!  I wish that you could have joined me. 

Here are some of my treasures...

I have more to show you but I've run out of light to take photos. 

Come see me tomorrow for more pretties from my trip and I'll also show you what was in these gorgeous packages from Lori!

(above three photos courtesy of Vintage Flair)