chai tea

or if you're dyslexic like me thai chi (only sometimes, when i'm thinking too fast...) it's my new favourite thing thanks to aunt cathy. right now i'm just rocking the tazo (which is a little too anise-y for me) but i want to go and find a nice, queen elizabeth quality loose tea to brew at home. i just love the spices and with a splash of milk it's a delightfully smooth treat! and it smells like freaking christmas!

leslie's map

i've been sitting on this story for a while. i'm sorry. i just wanted to do it justice! so, leslie is a lovely lady that i work with who shares my thrifting and repurposing passion. this just goes to show you that with a little imagination an old, unused, family treasure can have a new life with a little elbow grease and some thrift store frames.

the map was in her boyfriend's parents garage

hung on the wall behind some ladders and other yard equipment

it was in pretty rough shape

so they had to carefully cut it down off the wall

i can't believe she found such beautiful frames

at thrift stores! must find out where she goes...

skilled workers hanging the new found artwork

the imperfections give it great character

and just think of the story that it has

something old gives charm to this beautiful new home!

thanks leslie!

adventures in antiquing: my lovelies

sorry i made you all wait the whole weekend to see my haul! i hope it was worth it for you! i truly enjoy having these lovely items in my home...

my aunt cathy said cardinals bring creativity and insight

so i hung it over my desk hoping it will bring a little to my studies

at least it will perk me up if i'm feeling a little blue

i love reading vintage postcards

the pictures sometimes make me laugh...

who would send a picture of oil fields in texas

people in the 50's thats who

it makes me want to send more postcards

maybe one day someone will buy one of mine

and display it in their home...

this one is from a lady named eva to her friend

helene gorges in rochester, ny

(not to be creepy but i looked her up and she was real!

i couldn't find the address but i did find her date of birth and

death; june 10, 1903 - nov 2, 1992)

the post mark says july 25, 1939

holyoke, mass.

just a simple little message

i feel a collection coming on...

so much joy for only $1

right now this beautiful old farming (?) basket

holds my knapsack and scarves

i imagine it used to collect fresh veggies from the garden

or maybe some fresh eggs

(still warm from the chicken's ass...as my papas would say)

this piece deserves three pictures

BECAUSE I LOVE IT SO MUCH!

i don't know if it's 'worth' anything

but to me it's worth some delicious, freshly reamed

juice

in all it's glory

and lastly this beautiful venetian painting

it came as a pair but the other needs a little tlc

i could never paint anything like this

and i love the way it adds a little personality to my home

it's not something that is mass produced

(ahhh...another collection has begun)

the thing i love about thrifting and antiquing is the story an item has; who owned it before, where was it displayed/ used/ loved? i'm all for buying new (mattresses and couches are a must for me...unless i know who's giving it to me...basically if i can't throw it in the washer or reupholster it...) but i love that my home is a reflection of myself and my family. new pieces make new stories and old pieces finding their place in my life. mr. brack always gives me a hard time about getting rid of furniture (i.e.. my beautiful midcentury dresser that houses my tv etc.) but i think it's more beautiful than anything i could get at ikea or stoney creek furniture or wherever...

adventures in antiquing

a few weekends ago, my mom and i travelled to the nited states (as my stepsister, addy, calls it...) to visit my aunt cathy and uncle steve in beautiful rochester, ny for some antiquing! a short car ride later and we were in antique mecca: canandaigua! after three huge markets, sever hours, and one delicious crepe lunch, we were some tired antiquers!

my aunt cathy making dinner (the one with the beautiful, curly hair)

and my mom (also a cathy...) ruining my picture by smiling...

also i love my aunt's decorating style...

it's like french country/eclectic/minimalist/simply beautiful...

the lamp over the marble top table was rescued from

a warehouse in brooklyn...i love it!

the most delish chicken pot pie...

honestly, i could have eaten the whole thing!

must get this recipe...

just a simple salad...

dessert served with warm

devon cream...

yum yum!

her plates are all red and white patterned

picked up here and there...

 

who still has a phone on the wall?

i love this!

aunt cathy with her dad, my great grandfather,

her house is scattered with beautiful old memories

like this one...

no, i didn't write this book...

a cheery, yellow ice crusher...

a lot of the vintage finds out there are cocktail related...

hmmmm....

so many bikes!

should'a bought this beaut...

antique markets carry an abundance of collections

pyrex...

case in point

al gore, what a stud

my mom's cockatiel, griffin

in statue form...

kinky notebooks

nanu nanu

this one kinda creeped me out...

but it really says something about

the impact of the movie...

(love story, incase you didn't know)

(for shame...)

i don't know what the allure of these ducks (?)

is exactly...but if you like them they come in

a billions colours and sizes

i had such a wonderful time wandering around antique markets! so much, that after summer school, i'm taking mr. brack on an antiquing adventure of our own!! 

ps. stay tuned for my lovely purchases!

i love libraries!

one of my dreams in life (the others will surely be put on here at sometime or another...) is to have a library. i just want a room where the walls are covered by bookshelves. and maybe a fireplace... and a desk. i've hit a bit of a roadblock however. i've recently found the kindle and kobo apps on my iPad, which make getting a book sooo super easy. i mean, i bought stephen king's 11/22/63 at midnight the day it came out and started reading it that second. (technology blows my freaking mind...) this has slowed down my rate of consumption of tangible books. and it's funny because i don't know why i do this. i love the feeling of opening a new book. being careful not to bend the spine. and slowly, the pages in my right hand grow smaller. i love seeing the books all lined up on a shelf; those books that have been treasured many times looking a little worse for wear. (i even have my first copy of the stand in a shadow box, the pages all jagged and worn on the edges...it's practically falling apart...so i've retired it to a place of honour on my bedside table.) i wish you could buy a book with the option to also download a digital copy. i'd pay a few extra dollars for that luxury because i love the convenience of digital books and magazines. that way i can carry around all the books i'm reading compactly on my iPad to peruse at my leisure. i don't know where i was headed with this...sometimes when i talk about books, i can talk for hours...here are some examples of my dream library...

what a great use of space!

i basically just like the roundness of this room

gasp! secret door...also full of books

who has ceilings this tall?

i am so jealous...

in my house i only want spiral staircases

i'm afraid to do this because i don't want to

break up series

neat and tidy

i would also take a hallway full of books...

you don't need a lot of space to have a library

i'd sit in either of those cozy chairs

just put a cuppa on that side table for me...

if you wanna check out some more libraries i love and other book related things, check out my pinterest board...