Special Guest: Meet Chandra of astylishlittlelady.com

Chandra contacted me via my Etsy shop because she purchased these vintage hankies from me for her upcoming wedding.

Chandra's blog is full of great eye candy, photos, and art.  She also has some really fun wedding ideas.  Here is her link:  A Stylish Little Lady.

Introducing Chandra- isn't she cute?


And here is a little bit about Chandra:
Hello. My name is Chandra. I'm a soul partner. etsyholic. daydreamer of beautiful things. lover of peppermint gum and have a quirky affection for ribbon. I'm the creator of A Stylish Little Lady and this little spot has become a sweet escape, a place filled with inspiration, creativity, and a small dose of me. My blog started as a way for me to catalog all the things I love to gawk at, including handmade goodies, food, etsy finds, art, design, and of course, a little fashion. I hope you will become inspired, daydream a little, and leave with a smile.

Stop by and visit (I love new peeps) and would like to welcome you to my random mess and chaotic bliss... a place where I can remember and scribble about the people and things I love.


Thank you for stopping by, Chandra!  And good luck with your wedding!

Weighing In

I have a confession.  I don't own a bathroom scale.  In almost 19 years of marriage, we have never owned a scale.

But when I saw this baby at a garage sale, it was love at first sight.  It's a baby scale!

I know that is strange considering I don't own a scale.

I might not like to weigh myself, but I do have need to weigh other things.

I don't have any babies to care for anymore.  Unless you count this "baby".  

Rediculous, I know.  But we do tuck her in each night and cradle her as we carry her to bed.  The weird thing is she lets us!

Back to the topic, I have been known to take my cake stands to the post office just to have them weighed to try to figure out what I should charge for shipping.  In I go, handing the cake stand over to the nice people who work behind the counter, and we make up far away zipcodes predicting what it might cost to  send it to tim-buc-too, or San Francisco, or Miami (notice I always pick somewhere nice and warm).

I had 2 different people in Canada interested in this:

Sadly, once you add the packaging, all of my cake stands weigh over 5 pounds, so that puts international shipping to $45.  Most people don't want to pay that much.

Someone in the UK wanted this:

Again, I ran to the post office and tried all sorts of boxes and options.  We couldn't get it to cost any less than $45.  It was a no-go for the woman in the UK, and I don't blame her!

So, when I saw this old-fashioned baby scale, I thought my local postmaster might appreciate me buying it, so he doesn't have to weigh my candle sticks and cake stands anymore.

And for the real test today, I first weighed this cake stand I sent to Maryland (Hi, Maryland, if you read this!)

It was just over 3 pounds.

Then I boxed it up with bubble wrap and egg shells.

It came to 5 pounds and 4 oz.

I went to the handy dandy USPS website and was able to configure what the postage should cost.

I calculated  $11.17.

Now for the real test- I took it into the post office, and I was pleased as punch-- it came to exactly $11.17!!!!

This baby is accurate!  Yay for 70-year old accurate scales!  Yay for the saying "they don't make 'em like they used to!"  And Yay for those baby boomer parents who wanted to weigh there babies at home.

Now I just wonder why we don't do that anymore?

Only Time Will "Tale"

I have been working hard finding many vintage items and treasures.  I have found so many beautiful plates, pedastals, and linens.  In my searching, as I have chatted with people when collecting these special objects, I think I have become a little too sentimental as I have come to learn stories about people or items, as you can see from this post!  

If these items, sometimes as much as 80 years old, could talk, what would they tell us?

Where have they lived?

What was happening when they were created?

Who created them?

What was the woman thinking about when she crocheted a half-a-dozen doilies hour after hour 37 years ago to give a new bride and groom, that then not only used the doilies, but cared for them well enough to leave them in excellent condition 37 years later.  The doilies "experienced" a whole life with a family that grew from young to mature- some people don't even get to experience that!  And if we do, most of us don't walk around without a few "spots" on us.

What was the worker thinking when he used his hands so skillfully when he hand-blew the glass 50 years ago- did he know his vase would decorate a wedding then AND now 50 years later? Did he find joy in his workmanship?  Did it become mundane?  How would his perspective have been effected had he known the legacy his work might carry?

What kind of day did the mother or father have when they carried their handkerchief with them 70 years ago?  Did they wipe the sweat off their brow, wipe a tear, or tuck it into their purse or pocket to carry to church with them?

I love the stories behind the items that I find.  I love the hand work and labor and time that went into making the product.  I love the quality that so many of these vintage items have that can be hard to find today.  To top it off, I love it when I find so many of these items in such good condition!

And I love it when other's love it again!  Many of these items were loved once, and now get a second chance to be loved again.  I've heard many times that certain items remind them of their grandmother or childhood or some other special memory.

Here is a little preview of some items I've got coming soon to Etsy.  Can't wait to get them posted next week sometime!  Look for cake stands, doilies, handkerchiefs, and a few other things.

And I really will be selling the doilies described above that were hand-crocheted by a family friend 37 years ago as a wedding gift.  They are so pretty and in excellent condition.