Calendars

I love my calendars in the new year! Yes, these are all mine. They are filled with birthdays, anniversaries and other happy days but not appointments that make up most of our hectic lives.

A new calendar brings hope for the future and a promise of wonder-filled days ahead. How will we fill in these blanks? Let's make some of them days for just doing whatever brings us pleasure and peace in that moment, nothing planned.

There is joy too in our busy days, party days and family days. Sometimes even our busy days feed our souls.Wishing you a fun calendar for 2012!

Melin

Antiquing in Springfield Oregon

I took these images on vacation at a wonderful antique co-op in Springfield, Oregon. I loved the care the vendors took with their booths and their great displays. I wish I could tell you the name of the store. I will get better at this, especially with the details and photos as I go along, I promise.

It doesn't matter what you love...country and romantic or modern and minimal, something wonderful happens when you gather things together that you enjoy.

As these photos show, just grouping your treasures by color or like items let's us enjoy them in a whole new way.

Time to get out your crystal and polish up your wedding or grandma's silver for holiday entertaining. You can group them together for a shiny new display. You can leave out all through he holidays with just a few added ornaments, ribbons or greenery but that is for a future post.

Melin

The Colors of fall

I love the colors of fall! The soft golden glow in the hushed early morning hours is a spectacular treat and reward for getting up so early in the chill.

Trees are are in their glory as they change from green to yellow, then golds and reds. I notice each tree changes in it's own time. Some are quick to change with the first snap of cold, while others hang on to their green as long as they can. They remind me of us and how unique and perfect we are, each in our own special way.

Did you mature and show your colors early? Or, did you change slowly, revealing layers of new color in your own time?

I took these photos with my iPhone on the way home from church last Sunday in Truckee, CA.

Farmer's Market in Olympia, WA

Melin and Sue enjoying the Farmer's Market on a beautiful day in October!

Last week we were visiting dear friend's from high school at their beautiful new home in Olympia, WA. I was so impressed by all the beauty of nature at the market that I took some photos with my handy i-phone and I wanted to share them with you...enjoy!

Fragrant lavender booth.

Just look at that radishes and the rhubarb...perfection!

Milk Glass

This is a picture of part of my milk glass collection. These are the pieces I use often, or at least when I entertain. I love that we put a glass door on this cupboard, so I can see it anytime I am in the kitchen. Just seeing the gleaming white brings me joy!

I collect milk glass because it reminds me of my Granny. She had several pieces that she displayed and used for special occasions. She never would think to amass a large collection like I have. In her day, people just weren't that indulgent. I was passed on a piece or two from her collection and a few from my mom's and some friends, as well. These are extra special to me.

I love the curvy and lacy edges on some of the pieces and I love the hob-nail, you know, the ones with bumps. My favorite piece is a small vase that is hob-nail and shaped kind of like a V with a ruffly top...perfection! I like this one so much that I actually have seven of them. I will have a party one day and will place one at each place-setting with flowers. You can see these pictured on the bottom shelf nestled under the cake plate stack in the middle.

I think we collect to bring back warm memories of our past. This is so true of my milk glass collection. I love that I can use it year round and think of my Granny!

Please share with us about one of your collections and who or what inspired it in the comment section below.

Melin

Anniversary

This is a shelf in one of our guest rooms. The cake topper is not ours. I picked this one up when I was antiquing years ago. I bought it because I love weddings and marriage.

We had a beautiful one on our cake that had two cherubs reaching for one another and flowers on it. I couldn't find a bride and groom topper that looked like us in 1976. I loved that topper!

It met it's demise when, after about two years of marriage, our naughty dog, Anna Banana broke into the house while we were gone. She chewed up our baby daughter's toys, including her first Madame Alexander doll, and our beloved wedding cake topper was destroyed in the frenzy.

Yesterday was our 35th wedding anniversary. We celebrated at a wedding brunch the morning after our niece's wedding on Saturday.

Sometimes we do a special trip like we did five years ago when we went to Africa. Most years, we just do regular things and it is special either way.

One tradition that we always keep is the exchanging of mushy anniversary cards. My husband is the best at picking out the most loving cards for me for special occasions. This year the sentiments we wrote inside matched one another's almost word for word...so sweet.

I wish everyone could be as blessed in marriage as Mike and I feel we have been.

Melin

Collections

Merriam-Webster.com defines collection as something collected; especially an accumulation of objects gathered for study, comparison or exhibition.

I love to collect! I am surprised there is no mention of the pure pleasure in collecting. I was born into a family of collectors and started collecting when I was very young. First were figurines from Japan from my Granny, then rocks and next everything Barbie. I still have most all of my Barbie stuff and one day, I'll display my favorite retro Barbie treasures. I tease my husband that I will do a whole room in Barbie.

Many of my collections (yes, I have many) are nostalgic for me in some way. They say we buy things from our past to nourish favorite memories and I do just that.

I love that you can begin a collection display by just putting together items that are similar...in color, theme (like holidays or seasons) or by what they are made of. The photo above shows a variety of goodies from my shop that are in the same color family and have a birdie theme too.

What do you collect? Tell us where you find them and how your collection moves you. I would love for you to share your treasures and ideas.

Melin