My Scottish Fling

Well, I did it.

I packed up, got on a plane, flew over the Atlantic and went to Scotland!

I really did... and lived to tell. 

While waiting for my first grandchild to arrive,

my son Lars, his wife Spring, their friend and vintage queen Máiri and I

went shopping on fashionable Byers road in the West End

of Glasgow near their apartment.

If you poke around in the alley ways, you can enter one shop and exit another.

Diagon Alley?  Here's a very pregnant Spring entering a place called, Relics.

I don't know how my son ever discovered these shops... 

...which could take a hint about merchandising.

This one is pretty neat, but in some shops,

stuff was precariously piled so deep and so high

there was no way possible to get to it.

Some beautiful reclaimed tile.

I was always on the lookout for vintage fabric which was quite scarce.

Here is a 36" wide piece for 14£.

Oh, and I almost wept with excitement to actually see some Charles Rennie Mackintosh architecture and interiors!  Actually, I did start to cry at the Mackintosh house on campus.  I couldn't believe I was really there!  A wonderful tour led by Nigel, a wonderful guide.  Here is a lovely wardrobe designed by Mackintosh.

A gorgeous light fixture found in the entrance hall.  

Not only did I see the Mackintosh House

on the University of Glasgow's campus,

but a sweet new Scottish friend, Karen,

actually took me somewhere that exceeded

my wildest dreams in Helensburgh...

 

 One of the crown jewels of the Mackintosh experience! 

The Hill House!  OMG!  I studied this place in college!!!

And, I got to see a Hill House Chair IN THE HILL HOUSE!!!

(Ok Kathy, take a deep breath...)

I was also excited to see my son's university.

What a beautiful (I think I can safely say, ancient) campus.

Here he is leaning against the cross vaulted arches

in the walk-through between centuries old courtyards

in the oldest part of campus.  Positively medieval.

Last but certainly not least and most important of all - the whole reason for my trip - my new granddaughter made her entrance into the world halfway through my visit.  Perfect timing.  She's beautiful.  It was almost impossible to leave her.  But! On the bright side, I will see her in six months when all the Scottish adventurers return to America!  Until then, thank goodness for Skype!

Beam Me Over Scotty!

I'm going to Scotland in a week.  I'M GOING TO SCOTLAND IN A WEEK!  This is a big deal for me, a homebody who has never even left the country.  It's true.  I'm quite content to stick around home.  Bucket list?  There isn't one.  My greatest travel aspirations might include road trips around the country to see the national parks.  That would be nice.

But my children are very different than me.  Well, at least two of them... so far.  The two oldest.  They get around.  If you have read my blog from the beginning, you know those two boys have lived in Taiwan, Japan, China, (Utah) and now, you guessed it... Scotland.  Glasgow to be specific.  My oldest and his wife (front center and front left in this picture of my family) are living in the West End for a year while he gets a masters in International Politics-China at the University of Glasgow.

And yes, said university looks like Hogwarts to me.

Well, it WAS founded in 1451.

Anyway, something happened last summer and now there's this...

And that's why I'm going to Scotland in a week.

Yes, my first grandchild.

A pale, blond or red headed, freckly baby girl should arrive

about the same time I do... keep your fingers crossed. 

Knock on wood.  Say a prayer.  Whatever works.  

My plans in Scotland are to be a homebody there, too.  

I need to take care of the new mama so she can take care of her new sweetie pie.

No other big plans while I'm there...

well...

Ok... maybe I could sneak out for a little while and see this:

I mean... it's located right on the university grounds.

I'm talking about The Mackintosh House, a reassemblage of interiors

from one of my favorite architects, leader in the art nouveau movement,

and legendary Glaswegian, Charles Rennie Mackintosh!

 Among his gorgeous designs:

The iconic trademark Mackintosh rose,

the 1898 Argyle chairs and the famous 1902 Hill House chair (center)!

I used to have a Mackintosh Rose poster up in my kitchen in Provo

when I attended BYU for Interior Design back when this boy I'm visiting was born.

So, it's meant to be.  I need to sneak over there...

...and maybe on the way I might come across a thrift shop or two...

or a fabric shop here and there.

There's a Cath Kidston in Glasgow.

And not that I've been cruising all over the google map of Glasgow

and obsessed with street view and checking out fabric shops called

Timorous Besties, Mandors, Remnant Kings, or Zum Zum...

or thrift shops with fascinating names like

Tinker Tailor Soldier Sailor... but, I digress...

Anyway.

We'll see about all that.

First, I need to concentrate on someone who

I used to think would someday look like this:

An early Victoria magazine picture cropped from an article about something vintage that I loved back in the 90s.  This beautiful little girl, whoever she is, is all grown up now.  I used to think if my son and his wife had a daughter, she might look like this.  But now I think she'll be even more fair and more blond.  We'll see, won't we?

Until then,

Cheerio and Haste Ye Back!