It's an odd feeling; thrifting in your own house. This only applies to circumstances such as mine where my husband and I moved into a family guest house that was rarely used in the last two decades. Most of the things in it though some of them bought brand new, are now vintage so to speak. This house is one huge thrift store and the kitchen has been my favorite spot since we moved here.
It was my grandmother who thrifted and bargained her way into the little details that went into decorating the house. The furniture and pretty much everything large was bought brand new of course, some kitchen items brought in from Japan, China, the Philippines, all over the world from her travels.
While there are many many things I would actually re-purpose given the chance, re-paint and possibly re-do, there are a handful of things that I have found to be useful and lovely. I don't collect much things, really. I'm not the type to hoard things into a flurry of mismatched kitsch and display them behind glass because at the end of the day - and my mother will be proud in my saying that, they're all just dust catchers.
Well, maybe there are certain tendencies to do so I admit, which I will attribute to genetics (i.e. my grandmother) but I've so far witheld myself from thrifting myself into the oblivion of tiny treasures even if at times I would completely convince myself that it would look so pretty by my bedside.
Suddenly, having a child changes even the slightest measure of consumerism: The five way test.
Is it toxic? Are there small parts that can possibly lead to choking hazards? Can she poke herself in the eye with it? Are there sharp edges that might cut through her delicate skin? Can it break into a million pieces that she can easily pop in her mouth like pop rocks?`
So I stick with function and fashion instead. Something for the kitchen and the closet. The thrill of thrifting isn't much about getting something for a cheaper price. It's the ability to find something that you can't walk into Target for and buy a dozen of this or that. It's the nostalgia attached to the energy of things; it's like a fingerprint we leave behind but cannot see. But it's there. Vintage treasures excite my imagination and fuels my creative flow, that in itself is enough to get me going.
I've found these treasures here in my Grandmother's house. Who knows how long they've been here, whether they've been used in the last two decades, or who they originally belonged to. Cleaning up and making (storage) space in the kitchen - setting aside the more decorative household flair for more use and functionality led me into a treasure hunt of sorts. Here are five of my favorite finds - which with permission, I intend to ask for and keep. :)
Are you drooling yet? Because I certainly did when I found these pretties behind pale blue melamine cups and bowls: A set of J & G Meakin Blue Onion Nordic Cups. One of my absolute favorite finds around the house. Not quite enough for my daily caffeine consumption, but perfect for tea! If you sit by the window and squint real hard, you might just make out the English countryside as you plop a sugar cube into this cup. I think I may have even gasped when I found them.
I've named this little spring birdie,
Tweet which no one else knew that is, until today. I like to name inanimate objects because I'm strange like that. I found
Tweet among other collections of depression glass bunnies, ceramic owls, fish, and other wildlife up on a shelf in the living room. I would gladly get rid of all other dust catchers, except
Tweet caught my
shabby-chic sensibility and now stars in my blog's banner.
Nothing depressing about this lovely little green depression glass bowl. It's a home for onions and shallots and bulbs of garlic. I'm not exactly sure what it's true purpose is; fruit bowl, candy dish, a catch-all? Nonetheless, it's been hired as one of my kitchen caddies.
The crown jewel of
vintage pyrex - at least for me. This Butterprint pattern Cinderella (nesting) bowls (of which I
only have the largest one) are the perfect shade of turquoise and features an Amish farming scene depicting a simpler, less complicated life of days gone by. Maybe it's the color, or the fact that it's got
vintage written all over it but I feel a sense of calm joy washing over me every time I pull this from the cupboard to use for baking or preparing comforting meals at home. I would definitely love to complete this set though. Hello, Ebay!
And finally, this kitschy sugar jar with no other set to match gets a second chance with me as a salt cellar. It’s deep enough to hold a lot of salt, and wide enough for that perfect pinch of seasoning. I conveniently leave it near the stove. I adore yellow/orange throwback to the sixties, colors that I am fairly obsessed with this Spring.
I can dream all day about functional vintage and fashion finds; fill my home, my kitchen, and bedroom with all the necessary details that go into making a space your own. There are things in here that come from all over the world, not that it's a cohesive collection but nonetheless, there is history between these walls and a story that goes along with every item here.
Now that I've been here for several years, the one thing I did not fully expect to find is my story. Yes, there are the idyllic childhood summers spent here with family, but most sovereign of all - the birth of our daughter, the birth of my own family. If we do eventually move on into a home that is at last ours, it will surely be a difficult goodbye. And yes, I will be taking my keepsakes with me; a principal reminder of how this part of my life began.
