Vintage | A Thankfully Imperfect Woman

Dec 18

An ‘Ode to Mom & Dad’

My parents were known for their outside Christmas decorations. They’d have people come from all over and stop on the highway to take pictures. We used to laugh because they kept expanding them…I remember telling them ‘you can’t decorate their whole 40 acres!’. They’d light up every tree and they lit up the entire house. Then they started adding the big plastic Christmas decorations outside. And adding…and adding…and adding.

A Vintage Christmas

In an attempt to get ALL my Christmas decorations up this year, I decided to start early.

Last year my health got in the way, but since I’m feeling so much better this year and I’ve learned to pace myself, I know I can accomplish what was my ‘normal’ Christmas celebrating.

This year I want to get back to…

Lots of decorations (my oldest daughter once said ‘it looks like the North Pole threw up at my house’…to which I just laughed).

Lots of Christmas cookies…to give away to neighbors and friends. Read more

Mar 9

Imperfect Organization

For years I have shuffled around the purses I’ve accumulated.

First hanging on a closet rod…to the floor…to the other end of the rod.

Not anymore…

Thanks to Pinterest and it’s amazingly creative crafters, I found the perfect solution. (OK, in recognition of all the downsizers, yes, I could have sold or donated some, but in my way of thinking…why get rid of a good thing that you’ve already paid for and love!?!

I started with some beautiful reclaimed wood (thanks to my friend Jan). Then I added some antique and vintage door knobs…and walaaaaa!

OK, so it wasn’t quite that easy, but not too far from it. There were nails, screws, epoxy glue, power tools…and of course, the purses.

Here are shots of the finished products:

I know, I know…the purse hanger in the first picture is hanging crooked…and if you look really closely you’ll see my errors (it does hang straight…I just didn’t catch it when I took the picture 🙂 ).

Just a reminder of how thankfully imperfect I am.

I LOVE how this project turned out.

What do you think?

Patty O

Linked to:

Oct 24

8 Comments

A Grease Monkey, Family Heirlooms, and Barb Kellogg Photography

The Grease Monkey is me…yes I shop at the St Louis County Mall (aka the dump) and yes, I grab greasy treasures! I have a little too much fun cleaning up these treasures…thank you Dawn dish soap, or as my husband puts it “If it’s good enough to clean ducks, it’s good enough for this”. (Obviously referring to the oil spills, the affected waterfowl, and the Dawn dish soap commercials.) I had GREAT fun cleaning up the pulley!

And yes, my husband thinks I’m nuts. Oh ye of little faith…but then he sees the finished product and says “Well, that’s cool!” 🙂

In the featured LOVE picture, the first two items were dump (oops Mall) finds. The V is a folding tape measure that was Tim’s Grandpa’s. And the two clamps I picked up at my friend’s garage sale…I needed an E…what can I say?

And here’s a collage of the rest of the wall! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! Read more

Oct 2

12 Comments

A Tiger for Elena

Little Miss Elena loves tigers.

Not just any tigers, she loves the tiger at the zoo…and I think the tiger loves her.

We all went to the zoo on her last birthday so she could introduce us to her friend, and while we were there Elena stood on a ledge to point out her tiger, who was pacing back and forth. One moment he was pacing, and the next he’d reared up with his front paws on the glass to literally look at her eye to eye.

I’m not sure if he was thinking ‘lunch’ or not, but I quickly told her he was saying “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” The poor little peanut turned her wary look into a big smile and off we all went to see the next animal…and her love of tigers remains!

I decided a week ago to get rid of an old dresser I’d been hanging onto. I mentioned it to Elena’s Mom, Jen, and she said she didn’t have one for Elena yet and maybe it was time.

Well…I couldn’t just sell her the plain old dresser, not for our little Miss Elena. I had hoped at one point to paint a beautiful flower on the front and then sell it, but had decided to just get rid of it…needless to say…the idea came back to me. I asked Jen what animal I could paint on the dresser for Elena and she immediately said a tiger. I should have known.

A few days later little missy appeared in her favorite t-shirt adorned with what else, but her favorite animal. So I convinced her it was dirty (it actually was), so I could borrow it.

Here is my weekend project, done with lots of love, for a sweet little girl who loves tigers…

(This is where my oldest daughter would say “Ta-daaaaaa!”)

Elena got to see her new dresser yesterday and her smile said it all.

Patty O

ps…this is absolutely one of my favorite things to do…so if you know of anyone who wants an extra splash on their decor, whether it be for a child’s piece of furniture or an adult’s, just give me a call!