Unmatching and Books

I always thought pillow cases should come in pairs.

So each one had a matching buddy...

one on each side of the bed in a nice little stack.

I had been gathering happy pillow cases here and there...

but I had never put them on our bed because there were no matching pairs.

I have quite a stash and couldn't stand them sitting in the closet any longer.

So I had to change my rule.

Funny how I got a bit nervous...

breaking a made-up rule.

A silly rule that no one knew about.

The bonus... now I know which pillow is Michael's.

He has a favorite and it was always getting lost.

This is my side of the bed.

Stacks of books and my reading lamp.

I decided to read all the books I owned that I had never read before.

So no new books, no library books and no borrowing books...
until I read what is on my shelves.

You wouldn't believe how many books I own that I have never read.

I put them up for later and always read the ones with a due date first.

My husband is a digital book fan...

so he needs no lamp to read at night.

He tells me all the time that I need to let go...

and realize paper books are going to be outdated soon.

Well, that just makes me sad.

I love books... the paper kind.

The ones that smell old.

The ones that have their corners turned down.

If digital books overtake the world...

they will have to take me kicking and dragging.

Joining: Communal Global and 

Sweet Shot Tuesday

Today

Last night I went to bed early and woke up before the monster.

I haven't been up before her everyday - but I am making an effort.

I found these pretty old sheets on a random stop at the thrift store last week.

The Goodwill in Michael's hometown is the best for older vintage things.

I would never find sheets like these by our house...

I think there are too many fancy vintage re-sale shops in our town.

They scoop this stuff up and re-sell them for a ton.

Funny how 50 miles changes things.

Michael and I are going out on a date tonight.

Eva is going to a friends house...

 we are heading to a place with dim lighting and no children's menu.

I am off to shower and get pretty.

Finds

I found a new thrift store.

Michael took Eva to the zoo and I went alone.

Weird how the first moments I am all by myself I feel so weird.

Like I am missing my pants or something.

I grabbed some tacos...

Parked the car and listened to NPR before hitting up the store.

Yeah, I know NPR... my mom says I have an old soul.

I think what she really means is I am nerdy.

It was a good thrift day.

I found a long cashmere belted cardigan for five dollars.

I seriously rechecked the tag 20 times.

There was also this old Mason jar.

At home, I filled in with acorns.

I filled it and the monster emptied it.

So I refilled and she re-emptied.

We counted and sorted.

Inspected and dumped.

And my favorite find was this baby quilt.

It was worn and faded.

Just perfect.

Someone lovingly made teeny tiny stitches for a teeny tiny person.
It is well used and soft with age.

Sometimes I wonder who in the world would let go of such a treasure...

Flying

After a few failed attempts at getting some end of the season tomatoes from area farms...

I needed a guaranteed pick-me-up.

So, I headed to the closest thrift store.

I keep a running list of things I am hunting...

aahhh the hunt. 

That is my favorite part.

I picked up a few winter things for Eva, before her monster-tolerance timer went off.

You know, they forgot to give her a snooze button?!?

So we headed out.

Straight to the park for her guaranteed pick-me-up...

swings and slides.

There was a kite.

She called it a bird.

Tweet Tweet Tweet Kite.

Happy Friday

Lesson in Bargaining

Some of my very favorite books growing up the Little House on the Prairie Series.

I probably read them all 10 times in my life.

In a teenage moment of getting rid of all things "little"

I donated my set of books.

Silly teenager.

I knew that one day Eva had to have the set on her shelves.

The other day,  drove past a garage sale sign.

I love garage sales.

The baby was laughing in the back seat...

we had no place we needed to be...

so I make a u-turn.

I couldn't believe it...

they had the whole set for $2.

I scooped them up.

Now holding these books in one arm...

and a giggly monster in the other was tricky.

So I put the books down to re-adjust my cargo...

and the man said, "I will take a dollar for those."

He might have thought I was changing my mind.

When I told him I was buying them anyway...

He told me shush and learn how to bargain better.

I paid him my dollar and told him I would have been glad to pay two.

He smiled and said he would have taken 50 cents...

It might be a while until they sit on her shelves.

I like coffee

and I like it black.

So I have not a need in this world for a creamer or sugar bowl...

I was thrifting and I saw them.

The made me smile.

So they had to come home.

Practicality's cause was not helped by the fact that they were sitting beside that little green bowl.

A little green bowl who had a matching sister bowl at home...

she was pink and all alone.

So I grabbed all three before I could change my mind.

and tried to take a decent photo...

but someone else really like the bowls too.

I tried twice, and then gave up.

She is a little thrifter-in-training...

First lesson, knowing what you like and not putting it down.

Good job Eva.

Thrifting and an Almost Dinner

Yesterday, Eva and I went to Grandma's.  

Michael's grandma adopted me long ago, and since I have no living grandparents of my own, I feel very lucky to have her.

It was a great day.  

She fed me and Eva the entire time we were there.  I think that is a grandma thing.

We had ham, turnip greens, carrot cake, and fruit cake.  Who knew... I like fruit cake?

Then she took us to her favorite thrifting haunts.

I came home with quite a few things...

this painting for by our stairs...

yep... $3.00.

...this top.

It is silk and - by the look of the tag - straight out of the 80's suit collections... I love it!

I put it on last night to go to dinner with Michael and some of his colleagues.  

I was worried about going to dinner an hour before Eva's normal bedtime, but she was in a good mood and I thought we could press our luck.  

I was meeting Michael there and looking forward to conversation with some adult situations.

I even put on heels and lipstick...

Then things fell apart.

The restaurant was not prepared for our larger party (even with a reservation), seating ran behind and then there wasn't even room when the table was ready, the high chair was too low for the table where we were finally seated...

 add to that a baby whose mood had deteriorated from good, to bad, to very angry.

Eva and I bowed out... white flag raised high.

I took her home, put her to bed.

I had some popcorn and leftover Halloween candy.

At least the top was only 25 cents... yep... a quarter.  

I am wearing it today - just because... 

sans the heels.

Pretties

Over the weekend, my mom and I went thrifting.  We found some great things...

... some clothes for Eva

... halloween costume for next year

... and these...

I had been hoping to find some jars like these for storing dry goods in the kitchen.

I thought that, at best, I could hope to find a clear one.  I had been hoping to find a blue one.

I didn't  think I would find some that were this pretty.

And they were only a dollar each.

I just ordered new gaskets for them and they will be good as new, except still perfectly old.