recreational thrifting

 Wow!

 It's been a long time since I've had such good luck at a thrift store!

 Yesterday, squeezed in between reading sessions (see more HERE)

  my husband and I stopped in to a thrift store that is TRULY a thrift store.

 $8.25 bought us a beautiful pillow, a jigsaw puzzle, four tops and a skirt and a jacket for me, and a     pair  of jeans for him!

A recent purge of several pieces of clothing I no longer wear

left space in my drawers and closet. 
I am thrilled to have these "new" items that will perk up my spring/summer wardrobe.

And the pillow!!!!  A real beauty.

things turquoise

 Some time ago, we spray painted our chandelier a metallic blue color.

It really wasn't quite the color I'd thought it would be,

but I did nothing about changing it.

 Then I found these shades on the internet

 and things began to come together!

I hung a vintage curtain panel that had been folded up on a shelf

and things turquoise began to come out of the woodwork!

 Paintings,

pillows,

and who knows WHAT next?

christmas pillows

 Christmas pillows --

mine are at least twenty years old 

and accompanied by fond memories

of stuffing and stitching them along with a friend who stitched her own pair.

They still "fit" my simple Christmas decorations.

No need to get new ones...

(I enjoy seeing all of YOURS, too--

old and new.)

real living space

"For too many people, being happy at home is pretty much an abstract idea,

something they can’t know or imagine, until it appears on some taste maker’s must-have list, 

or in a magazine, or reposted on Tumblr. 

A home sweet home is not curated or produced by acquiring 

a perfect arrangement of chairs, lamps and friends. 

A real living space is made from living, not decorating. 

A bored materialist can’t understand that a house has to become a home. 

It happens, not through perfection but by participation."  

(Andy & Elsa Beach Apartamento issue #07) 

As you can see, it's very "real" at our house!  Our living room
is full and doesn't get sorted out nearly enough.
Our hearts are at home here...