my treasured EMBROIDERED ANIMAL ALPHABET

I can't believe I haven't shared my most treasured antiquing find with you yet. Hubby and I found this embroidered animal alphabet at our favorite antique & salvage store in Sebastopol, Ray's Trading Co. It was our first time there and we saw this lovely amidst a pile of old frames and paintings in the very back of the store. We didn't buy it, but as the week went on, I thought about it more and more and how much I would love to have it in my home. We went on a mini-vacation and said that if it was there when we returned, we would buy it. I was nervous that someone else would fall in love with it and take it home while I was gone, but when we returned, it was just sitting and waiting in the pile for us. Almost all of the animals are missing their googly eyes, so it needs a little repair, but I am going to find some buttons or something less googly to restore their sight. This cheery piece of art is the inspiration for our eclectic guest room. I love the bright animals. I love that they chose a newt for the letter N. I love that the letter H is a hare rather than a horse. 

Price tag: $10

And in case you are wondering, there are animals that start with the letter X, but they are rather obscure and probably not commonly known to anyone who would have seen the alphabet. 

I know, quite a story for one embroidered animal alphabet. But I love those eyeless animals!

in my own little CORNER

Hubby and I visited Petaluma last week and did some window shopping in the many antique stores. Some were cluttered, some were spacious, and one was set up in a way that you felt like you were walking through a museum or an art gallery. I took lots of pictures. This was my favorite corner. Can't you see this being a corner of your own sweet home?

antiquing TREASURES

Don't worry, I ended up finding a few treasures during my antiquing adventure, and they were all in my price range.

I've been falling in love with milk glass lately. I have a few vases already and found this lamp for $8. It will be perfect for our living room. I'm going to find a bright lampshade for it- maybe red or tangerine.

I found this vintage suitcase in a corner where everything was 60% off because the seller was retiring. I ended up paying $2 for it. You can't beat that! I'd love to find a couple more to make a stack of them. The most fabulous thing about vintage suitcases is that they are great storage. I have a million throws and blankets, so 3 of them are hiding in this suitcase now. But I have approximately 999,997 left to store... 

Hubby and I were talking about getting a globe last time we visited the Antique Mall, so I went ahead and got this one because I loved the colors and it was 20% off. I think I paid $18 for it.

Okay, so this was not on my list. I was looking through a pile of sheet music and when I saw the title of this song and the cover, I had to take a closer look. This song is hilarious, and the cover fits in with our living room color scheme perfectly. I'm excited to frame and hang it... after the construction is done. I've included the lyrics to this song below. I hope it makes you smile as much as it did me.

Eve Wasn't Modest Till She Ate That Apple

Everybody loves a girl who's modest,

Everybody loves a girl who's shy,

When a girl is modest and retiring

You can bet she'll always get by

Modesty began in the garden of Eden,

In every book you'll find

I'll admit it started in the Garden of Eden

But just bear this in mind

Just suppose that every girl was modest,

Just suppose that every girl was shy,

There would be no dust when days are windy

To blow right in the naughty man's eye

We'd have better business in our marriage market,

Each man would surely mate

When they start proposing they can see what they're getting,

That's why some hesitate.

Eve wasn't modest till she ate that apple

That old apple to blame

The minute she ate it,

she felt humiliated and hid behind the apple tree till darkness came

If one little apple made the first girl modest,

It ought to work now as well as then

Once they only wore a leaf

Clothes are getting just as brief,

If every mother's daughter, wears dresses any shorter,

We'll have to pass the apples again.

Eve wasn't modest till she ate that apple

That old apple to blame

The minute that she ate it,

she felt humiliated and hid behind the apple tree till darkness came

If one little apple made the first girl modest,

It ought to work now as well as then

Way back in the olden days

Men were fooled by girlie ways,

For then we never knew them,

but now we see right through them,

We'll have to pass the apples again.

Composed by Albert Von Tilzer

and published in 1917- can you believe that?

SEBASTOPOL antique tour

I took a trip to a couple of our local Sebastopol antique shops the other day to see if there were any treasures waiting for me. Or actually, let me rephrase that. I went to see if there were any affordable treasures waiting for me. There are always treasures that are out of my price range. Here's a fraction of a tour for you:

This corner held tons of vintage signs, tins, clocks, and various other things.

These horses reminded me of my dear friend who collected horses as a little girl. 

One of the antique stores had a whole upstairs loft full of used and antique books. Too many to look through in a drive-by visit.

I loved these little bambis and mushrooms. But they were not on my list of things to look for. I had to stay focused.

My favorite objects to look at but not buy were these little peanut salt and pepper shakers. They are too funny. You tell me- what do their expressions mean? Are they about to be turned into peanut butter?