from tired to inspired

Let's be honest, some weeks are more interesting than others. This past week, frankly, left me tired and uninspired. I choose to blame the stretch of insomnia I've been struggling with, but I know that some weeks are just like that. Tired and uninspired.

What always inspires me and lifts my spirits though is collecting vintage treasures and I have been searching high and low in thrift and antique stores for charming vintage jars to serve as spice jars. I stumbled upon this set of 15 pre-war jars quite some time ago and love love love them. I had no idea then how difficult it is to find vintage jars with their original lids so I am ever more grateful that I bought each and every one. Problem is, I need about 15 more in varying sizes to fill this fantastic antique shelf that *will* be morphed from super cluttered yet functional spice shelf to super cute and functional spice shelf. The shelf sits in our dining room just around the corner from the stove so "super cute" would be super cool.

The question remains... do I spray paint the lids to create a cleaner, more uniform look or do I leave the rusty lids in original condition? I figure at this point, safety isn't a concern- I mean what is unhealthier flaking off into your herbs and spices- rust or spray paint??? Seems like a toss-up to me. So, stay tuned: one happy and very inspired day we'll revisit the spice shelf with the complete "before and after" makeover. In the meantime, the search continues for more vintage glass jars. Until then, super cluttered yet functional will have to suffice.

legend of the four leaf clover

It was 3 years ago this week that my husband and I fell in love.

On our first date, just a few days following St. Patrick's Day, at a table overlooking the Columbia River, we learned that we had shared an important mentor in our high school years. His name was Jack Ryan, a true Irishman who left an unforgettable impression on all who were lucky enough to know him. Jack had been my guidance counselor and was my husband's baseball coach. My husband is 10 years older than I am (well, he'd say 9 and a half) and we went to entirely different schools. Each of us still had the article that had run in the paper upon Jack's passing. Imagine that. For more than 20 years, two people, now sitting at a table together having just recently met, had treasured the same newspaper article and kept it through countless moves and changes in life.

Just a few days before our fateful first date, while he was traveling in California, my husband had purchased a money clip that had a gold four leaf clover tucked inside an upside-down horseshoe. As we sat at the table, giddy with first date jitters and still amazed that we shared this very uncommon man in common, he showed me his new money clip and we toasted Jack Ryan. I told him then that I had been thinking lately that perhaps a four leaf clover may be my next tattoo.

Immediately after we had said goodnight for the evening at the front door of my apartment, I walked directly into my dressing room and picked up the four leaf clover card that I had received when my father passed away more than six years earlier. It had been sitting on a shelf since then and I always treasured it but I had never once thought to flip it over and see what was on the back side of the card. Imagine my shock when I did flip it over and see.... "enables young ladies to discover the man they will marry".... Filled with both excitement and a very nervous but happy fear, I began to recognize that larger forces were at work and that we had truly been blessed by the "Luck of the Irish". It wasn't a week later that my husband had proposed to me.

May the lucky clover bring you health, wealth and happiness all the days of the year!

a love affair with Astoria

I love my small town. Astoria made it's first impression on me as a young girl when I lived here briefly in my early grade school years. I was captivated by the "old-ness" of Astoria-- abandoned buildings once known to house fur-trading operations, beautiful Victorian homes in various stages of disrepair and restoration, steep streets with hidden pathways and public stairwells, stories of settlers and pioneers... and so, as a 30-something woman I returned for a visit to see what was becoming of modern-day Astoria. I left that 4 day visit with- surprisingly, a job. A couple of weeks later, I had packed up my Portland apartment, my dog and my cat in a U-Haul, hit Highway 30, and thus began my grown-up adventure in the small town that still fascinates and delights me. Six years later, I can't imagine living anywhere else.

Astoria was once a sleepy working class town largely defined by fishing, canneries and logging and as those industries began to change, so Astoria has been challenged to change. Which was exactly what had inspired my visit six years ago-- was Astoria honoring and preserving it's rich history, architecturally and otherwise? Today, I proudly consider myself part of Astoria's renaissance. I am one of many who have lived other places-- more "sophisticated" places, places with more "opportunity"-- yet have chosen this small, vibrant, dynamic, artistic community to make home. There are countless businesses, organizations and people who have and are making Astoria special, preserving it's history, and who are taking part in creating a new definition of Astoria... over time I will be compelled to share as many of them as I am able.

Before the Astoria-Megler bridge was built, the residents of the Washington peninsula and Astoria relied on a ferry to shuttle them across the mighty Columbia River. This was especially vital to residents of the peninsula as it was a quite isolated area with limited resources and services. At the foot of 14th Street in downtown Astoria were the ferry docks and many travelers took refuge in a hotel that operated on 14th Street, just a half block from the docks, from 1925 until it's sudden closure in 1965. After more than 40 years of being sealed up, ignored and forgotten, the old hotel is now given new life as Commodore Hotel Astoria. Reinvented as an affordable and stylish traveler's hotel featuring european style rooms as well as suites, the hotel draws design inspiration from the Columbia River and it's historic Astoria roots-- maintaining vintage integrity while infusing a hip modern and minimalist vibe. If you are lucky enough to visit Astoria, it's well worth a stay.

have a flirty friday!

I just adore this vintage postcard. One of my prized possessions. It came to me through my father's eclectic collection of memorabilia which became mine upon his passing. Every time I look at it, it makes me smile. The beautiful buxom blonde, the sight seeing guide, the observant gentleman, the message that "You will see some of the greatest sights of your life on this trip" reminding me of the richness of my own life experiences and the wonderful sights I have seen.

It doesn't have a copyright or print date on it but calls for a one cent postage stamp, has a divided writing area and "linen" look. I am guessing it dates from the mid-1950's (but I've only had one cup of coffee this morning). Here you can find all sorts of great information on dating antique and vintage postcards!

late bloomer

I am a late bloomer... to the land of blogging, and admittedly in some aspects of my life. I read my first blog, oh, maybe a bit more than a year ago. I married at the age of 38. But here I am now! Blogging. Married. And I'm happy to be here. The truth is, I am just not a "computer person" but I found myself so inspired by the first blog I read (thank you Amy at angry chicken) that I began seeking out other blogs... one blog lead me to another and then another. Whether I am able to inspire someone else over time remains to be seen... but I feel confident that blogging will, at the very least, inspire me. I intend to share bits and pieces of my life here... my love of Astoria, thrifting, antique and vintage treasures, taking pictures, art, sewing, cooking... It is my hope that someday someone will stumble accidentally upon my blog and find something that makes them smile, or think, or do-- as the bloggers I follow have done for me.